You Can't Save Me
by sydneytaryn
Summary: Damon, an extreme workaholic, meets Elena, a runaway stripper, on a business trip to Portland. Damon stays to free Elena from her past and present and Elena struggles to get Damon to loosen up and have a life besides work. Will they be able to save each other from their tragic futures? AU/AH
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi guys, so this is my first fanfiction and I'm really excited for it. Season 4 is coming up and I'm even more excited for that! This story is gonna be mainly Elena and Damon, but you'll see some Stefan and Caroline action, and I'm gonna try and incorporate as many of the characters as I can into this. I got my inspiration from the movie Welcome to the Riley's, but know that I'm not really going to go in that direction, just using it as a baseline. This first chapter is written in each different character's point of view, but in upcoming chapters I may keep it to just one character's point of view. I will eventually attempt to write some smut into this story but bear with me at first! I'm gonna try to update every week. I hate being kept waiting while reading my stories and I don't want to do that to you guys! Okay, I'll let you read now. Thank you and enjoy!**

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"Come on, brother. You can't keep living like this. I can't take it anymore," Stefan complained as he leaned against the doorway and looked at his brother with saddened eyes. Damon was slouched at his desk, his head hanging low. For months now, his brother had moped around the office, smelling of bourbon and pissing everyone off. It hurt to look at him. His normally brilliant blue eyes had lately become dull and empty, his raven hair was disheveled and unkempt, and he even looked thinner around the face.

Damon didn't even look at him when he said coldly, "Oh, spare me your pity, Steffy. I don't want it." Stefan didn't understand, how could he? His life was perfect. He had a beautiful, neurotic, loving girlfriend. He was their father's shining star and never had a care in the world. Damon was always the one who had to bend over backwards to please their father, who wouldn't even give him the time of day outside the office. He never took a single day off of work, even worked weekends, and got no appreciation for it. Granted, he always kept a bottle of bourbon in the office to take the edge off, but who wouldn't if they worked 90 hour weeks?

Stefan sighed. He knew his brother was miserable, but he just wouldn't accept help. "I think you should take the week off. Go for a vacation." Damon opened his mouth to speak, but his brother cut him off with his next words. "I don't wanna hear it Damon. You're miserable here." He looked at him with consoling green eyes. Getting Damon out of the office was the only option. Stefan hated seeing him like this and would do anything to save his brother.

"It's not your job to save me, Stefan," Damon growled with hard eyes. "I don't need saving, I'm perfectly fine living the way I do."

"You're not fine! You call this fine?" He threw his hands up in the air and walked towards his brother. "Have you looked at yourself lately, Damon? You can't tell me that you're pleased with yourself. There used to be days when you would come into the office smelling like sex. When was the last time you were even with a woman? Maybe you haven't noticed how miserable you look, but they have. They look at you and they practically see "Damaged Goods" on a flashing neon sign over your head! Come on, brother," he pleaded, and ran his fingers through his hair. "You're lifeless here. You need to get out." Stefan stared Damon in the eyes. He knew those words would get to him. It may have been a low blow, but if that was what it took, then so be it.

Sure enough, Damon looked up a few moments later with a resigned look on his face. Stefan was right. He hadn't been laid in well over 3 months. And it sucked. If he was being honest with himself, he hadn't truly looked at himself in a while. He examined himself enough to make sure he didn't cut himself while shaving, but he was never really seeing how bad he had gotten. It was obvious that Stefan wasn't going to let up, so why not? A vacation would be nice. Maybe the Bahamas, nice tropical weather, spend all day at a bar on the beach. His eyes glazed over and his lips stretched into his famous smirk.

As if reading his mind, Stefan said, "I'm not telling you to go drown yourself in alcohol for a week straight, brother. Just get out of New York. Who knows, when you get back maybe you'll finally be pleasant company again."

Just then, a scoff was heard from the doorway, made by a perky blonde previously unnoticed. "Please, Stefan, when was he ever pleasant company?" She rolled her eyes and gave Damon a smirk that rivaled his own.

"Well hello to you too, Caroline. It's a pleasure, as always," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

She gave him a pointed look. "I did not come to see you, obviously." She ran to Stefan, threw her arms around his neck and gave him a passionate kiss. They stayed locked in their sickening lover's embrace a few moments too long for Damon's tastes. When she finally pulled away, she was all smiles and murmured a soft, "Hi, baby," to Stefan.

"As much as I'd love to watch, you have your own office, Steffy. I need to get back to work anyways." Damon hoped that with Caroline here she could distract Stefan of his mission from a few moments ago. However, Caroline is nothing if not nosy.

When Stefan gave a heavy sigh and began to slump his shoulders in defeat, Caroline immediately picked up on their tension. "What's going on, boys? Damon, what is it that Stefan wants you to do that you clearly don't want to do?" She turned and gave Stefan a knowing smile, and he smiled at her in return.

Damon waved his hand, trying to act nonchalantly. "Oh nothing, he just wanted me to cover one of his meetings for him, but I don't have the time." He truly hoped that Caroline would leave it at that, but he knew that his hope was in vain.

"Oh no, Damon Salvatore, you know better than to lie to me." She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms across her chest, waiting for him to fess up. When a few moments passed with him just ducking his head, she turned to Stefan. "If he won't tell me, you will baby, won't you?" She looked to him with her big blue eyes and pouted her lips, knowing that he would definitely tell her.

"I think that Damon needs to take a week off and go for a vacation." Damon groaned at him in response, and Stefan knew that if his head was up he'd see him roll his eyes. "He's miserable here. He's rude to the employees and sooner or later he's going to start to get sloppy in his own office."

At this statement Damon immediately sat up, ready to defend himself. He lived and breathed this company. He would never slack at work. Hell, his whole life had become work. He had nothing else to live for other than this company. With a hard voice he said, "I may take my stress out on the people who work here, but I would never, ever slack in my office. This company is all I have. I worked my ass off to get here and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that. You know that Stefan."

"You need a life, Damon!" Stefan sighed, exasperated. "I know that this company is important to you and father, it's important to me, too. The difference with me, however, is that I know how to live outside of the office. Do you truly want to end up like dad?"

Damon knew that Stefan wasn't asking if he wanted to be president of the company with a million-dollar bank account. He was asking if he wanted to be a miserable old man, bitter and alone. Their mother, Arietta, was no longer with their father. She had left many years ago due to their father's constant absence. He always put the company before himself, and once Damon and Stefan were old enough, Arietta left the old fool. She kept in touch with her sons and saw them more often than they saw their father, and they worked in the same office building as him. Neither son truly wanted to end up with the life their father had.

Stefan and Damon shared a look, and Stefan had his answer without needing Damon to say it. Before he could press the matter, Damon's intercom rang and his secretary's voice was heard through the speaker.

"Excuse me Mr. Salvatore, I know you're otherwise occupied but Alaric just called and said it's urgent. I told him you were busy but he was not taking no for an answer, I'm sorry."

Damon sighed and said, "No need to be sorry, Andie. Alaric's nothing if not persistent. Put him on Line 2 and make sure he's on hold. I'm just finishing up here." The line went silent and Damon brought his attention back to his brother and Caroline. "Well, this has been fun, but duty calls. Out," he finished in a tone that implied the conversation they had been having was over, and waved them away.

Stefan took hold of Caroline's hand and gave a heavy sigh. "We're not done here, Damon. I'll drop it for now, though." With downcast eyes he turned to lead Caroline out of the office. She turned back for a moment to give Damon an icy glare, then walked out slamming the door behind her.

Before getting to Alaric's call, Damon opened his top desk of his drawer and popped some Advil in his mouth. It seemed he always had a headache after talking to Stefan nowadays. He groaned and picked up Line 2, ready to get this conversation with Alaric over with. "Do you really need to hassle my secretary all the time, Ric?"

"Oh, c'mon Damon, I was just having a little fun. I think she likes me." Alaric laughed and Damon could practically see his friend's goofy grin over the line. "Besides, this really is important. I just got a call from one of our new authors, Elijah Mikaelson. As you know, he just published and released his newest book, and to gain more publicity he wants to hold a televised book signing event up in Portland and he wants one of his publishers with him. Well, he wants to do it this weekend." He paused, giving Damon a moment to see if he could figure out his apprehension.

Damon groaned, knowing exactly what this meant. This weekend was Ric's three-year anniversary with his wife, Jenna. He already planned a romantic weekend for the both of them, and Jenna already knew about it. If he cancelled for a book signing event, Jenna would blow a gasket. As his good friend, Damon knew he had to take this one. Elijah was a nice guy, and Portland isn't too far, so it shouldn't be too big of a deal. Sighing dramatically, Damon said, "Alright, Ric. I'll go to Portland for you. Just remember, you owe me." He practically sung the last statement, and couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face; it was inevitable with all the crazy ways his friend could pay him back.

"Yes, of course! Thank you so much Damon! Jenna would have killed me if I cancelled, I'm sure of it. I'll concede that I owe you, but nothing too crazy, okay?" He knew Damon way too well to know all the fucked up kind of ideas that were flowing through his head. "You know that Jenna will kill you too if you try to make me do anything outrageous."

Damon scoffed. "I'm not afraid of your little wife. You should probably hang up now, before I change my mind." To his surprise, the call ended with a click immediately. _Wow, he must really have something special for Jenna planned._ Damon was happy for his friend, how could he not be? They had been friends and business partners for over six years. They used to go out drinking and partying every night, but ever since the day Alaric met Jenna, he had totally changed. He had to admit that the change was good. Jenna had done wonders on him, and Damon couldn't help but admire her. She was even good at holding her own against his snarky comments and snide remarks. She had much more bite than bark, the total opposite of Ric. They were good for each other, though, and as much as Damon hated to admit it, he would gladly cover a business trip for him so Ric could be with Jenna.

Pulling out his bottle of bourbon and pouring himself a glass, Damon hit the intercom button for his secretary. "Yes, Mr. Salvatore?"

"Andie, I need you to clear out my entire schedule for this weekend. I'm going to Portland."

* * *

As he pulled up to his hotel, Damon couldn't help but feel relieved. The whole past week he had spent with Mr. Mikaelson organizing this book signing event. There had been so many bumps along the way that he didn't think it was going to happen. However, with the event all smoothed out and ready to start tomorrow, Damon could now have a seat at the bar and just relax. He checked his bags, then moved to sit down on one of the unoccupied stools and ordered a bourbon.

The hotel was beautiful. It had an old-fashioned, elegant design with deep red and a mustard yellow being the main color scheme. It was comfortable, and the lighting was calming. The bar, located just to the left of the main lobby, was in the center of the room surrounded by small dining tables.

Damon's phone vibrated in his pocket, signaling a text. It was a message from Elijah telling him that he had just checked in and asking where to meet. After finishing his first drink, he sent him a reply telling him to come to the bar, and then flagged the bartender down to get a refill. As the bartender returned, Damon heard his name being called from across the small room. He turned to see the tall, well-groomed, brown-haired man walking arm in arm with a lovely blonde with blue eyes. Even though they were holding each other, there was nothing intimate at all about their embrace.

"Ah, Damon, thank you for coming." Elijah said in his slight English accent, and held out his hand for Damon to shake. Elijah then brought his attention to the woman next to him and said, "This is my sister, Rebekah. She'll be accompanying me to the signing event tomorrow afternoon."

Damon took her hand in his and brought it slowly to his lips, smirking at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rebekah. I'm Damon." He couldn't help but feel smug at the blush that tinted her cheeks at his affectionate display. Stefan wasn't completely right; he still had some of his winning charm.

"Come, Damon, let us go sit at a table and eat. I hear the food here is exquisite and I'm absolutely famished. I'm sure you're hungry after that plane ride." In reply, Damon gave him a tight smile and accepted his offer. Rebekah eagerly seated herself across from Damon as they sat down, and all through dinner kept trying to win his attention. She laughed too much at everything he said, continuously smiled and batted her eyes at him. The whole experience unnerved him. She was extremely attractive, but she was trying much too hard. Her blatant eagerness was an abrupt turn off, and Damon found himself wanting to get away from her as soon as possible. She reminded him of a type of mountain lion, stalking her prey. However, there was nothing sexy about the way she did it. He tried to focus all of his attention on his conversation with Elijah, and for the most part it helped distract him from her advances.

After their meals were finished, however, Rebekah had started to play footsie with him under the table. After the initial shock, he just tried to ignore her, hoping that she would get the hint. Unfortunately, she was extremely persistent and was just annoyed by his lack of response. She started to slowly work her feet up and down his leg, and he stared at the table awkwardly, still trying to pay attention to Elijah. He jumped in his seat and let out a small gasp when her foot suddenly found its way to his groin and she started stroking him with her toes. At this, he could no longer take it. He made a sudden movement out of his chair and gave a quick excuse about not feeling well and needing to head up to his room. He very politely apologized to Elijah and told him that he should expect to see him early the next day. With a quick, and not so polite, nod to Rebekah, he quickly fled the dining room and the hotel.

He immediately felt better when the chilly evening air hit him. At the table, with Rebekah fawning all over him, he had felt suffocated and trapped. Being out on the city street gave him a nice sense of freedom. He had the rest of the night to himself, having nowhere to be and no one to see until the next morning. However, he had never been to Portland before and didn't know where to go or what to do. He decided to just wander around. He knew where his hotel was when he needed to come back, and until then he would just walk until he found something to do.

Damon continued to walk for about a half hour, enjoying the sights and sounds of a different and new city. Portland wasn't like New York, but it was still a city; it was refreshing to be somewhere new and yet still familiar at the same time. Eventually, he came to what looked like a deserted, more run-down part of the city. He thought about turning around, but he decided it wouldn't hurt to continue down a block more. Halfway down the block, he heard loud music coming from a dark doorway across the street. There was a neon sign above the door of a female figure on a pole that was flickering. He knew instantly that it was probably a strip club. He could have, probably should have, turned around and went back to his hotel. After a few moments hesitation, he just decided, 'fuck it' and walked across the street into the club. It was extremely dark inside, and surprisingly the music wasn't hurting his ears. There were a fair amount of men in the club, and he could see about five women up on the bar dancing. Just as he did in his hotel, he took a seat on a stool and ordered a bourbon. When his drink arrived, he took the cold glass in his hands and just started at it. He let out a humorless laugh. _I'm in a strip club and I'm staring at my liquor. How pathetic. _He looked up at the woman on the pole in front of him and didn't feel anything. She was hot, yeah, but she just looked dirty and desperate. He looked back down at his drink.

The song faded out and in the silence, the girls moved around and switched poles. He didn't look up at the new woman when the music started up again; at this point he kind of just wanted to leave. The woman on the pole was not taking kindly to the fact that this man wanted to ignore her. In an attempt to get his attention, she tapped her white stiletto heel several times against the table right near his hand. He snapped his head up and gave her an annoyed look, one that quickly faded once he actually met her eyes.

She had big, soft chocolate eyes that screamed innocence despite her 'profession'. Her hair was dark brown that hung poker straight against her olive skin. Beautiful didn't even begin to describe this woman; she was absolutely breathtaking. Damon ogled her with his mouth hanging wide open, eyes glued to her. He was finally able to pull his gaze away from her eyes and brought it down the rest of her body. Oh God, her body was magnificent. She was wearing red and white lace lingerie that accented her curves wonderfully. He was so busy staring at her that he didn't even realize she had asked him a question. She tapped her heel against the bar again and looked at him expectantly.

"I- I'm sorry, what did you say?" He actually stuttered. Less than a minute and this woman was already making him crazy.

"I said, how're you doing tonight?" Now it was her turn to look annoyed. Had he not been paying attention to her? She internally scolded herself. _Of course he wasn't paying attention to me. He's in a strip club, he's only here to look at me, not give a damn about what I say_. She quickly pulled herself together, tonight had been slow and she needed any tips she could get from this guy. He still hadn't answered her question, so she just moved on anyways. "Do you want a private lap dance in the VIP room?" She asked him in the most seductive voice she could manage, and ran her heel down his chest.

Damon was absolutely speechless. He didn't know what he was doing here; he had never been to a strip club before. He never had a reason to; he would always be able to pick up any girl from any bar. He looked at the beautiful woman and could see that she looked kinda desperate, but not in the same way that Rebekah did and not in the same way that the other stripper had either. It was sad, like she didn't want to be here but desperately needed to be. She wasn't desperate for him; she was desperate for his money. He had a sudden strong urge to help this woman, but he was still at a loss for words, so he just nodded his head.

She gracefully slid off the bar and up against his body. She pulled at his shirt collar and led him upstairs to a private room. Just like the rest of the place, it was dark and small. There was a small couch in the corner, a chair in the center of the room, and a small box in front of the chair. "I'm Isobel," she said in a husky voice as she pushed him into a chair. She went to straddle him, but he gently pushed her off and sat her on the box in front of him.

"How about we just talk?"

She looked confused for a moment, and then she came to a realization and said, "You want me to talk dirty so you can get yourself off?" He made a face that was purely disgust and she found herself confused again. She got up and sat on his lap, putting her arms around his neck. She brought her lips to his neck and purred. "What is it you want?"

Damon felt himself harden instantly when she purred against his neck. Determined to stick with his original plan, he grabbed her wrists from around his neck and pulled them down, then he lifted her off of his lap and set her back down on the box. "I want you to sit down, and I just want to talk." His voice was harder than he meant it to be, but trying to do the right thing while being so aroused was making him moody.

"Alright," she said in a soft voice. "I was just trying to- you don't have to be mad at me." She turned her head to hide her face and looked at the ground. She couldn't help the crippling feeling of rejection rush through her body.

Damon looked at her and she suddenly looked so vulnerable and hurt. He immediately felt remorse for using such a harsh tone with her, when she was obviously just doing her job. He reached out his hand to her chin and turned it to face him. "I'm not mad at you." He stared into her eyes for a few moments, and then chuckled. "You're just persistent."

She looked at him nervously for a few moments, and then decided to just be blunt. "Look, I get sixty out of the two fifty you're gonna have to pay for the VIP room." She then hesitated and without looking at him said, "You're not gonna tip me anything?"

He looked at her with sad eyes, something she didn't see since she still hadn't met his gaze, and pulled out his wallet. He handed her three bills, and watched her eyes widen in shock. She finally brought her gaze to his and said, "You're giving me three hundred dollars for nothing? I don't understand." She shook her head slowly. Why would he give her this kind of money for nothing? If anything she had done nothing but annoy him. She hadn't meant to be offensive, that's usually what guys wanted when they came in here.

"Let's just talk, okay?" She looked at him apprehensively, but nodded curtly. "So, Isobel," he paused a moment to think then finished, "is that your real name?" He knew strippers never used their real names, and he knew she definitely didn't look like an Isobel.

Her stomach dropped and she immediately tensed up. She looked away avoiding his stare, and then realized that might be suspicious. Her voice was stuck in her throat; she couldn't speak. _Say something, you idiot!_ Desperate to try and brush off his question, she forced herself to make her voice have some power behind it. "Of course it is."

"Hm." She was lying, but how could he have expected her to be so truthful with a stranger? He sighed and said, "I'm Damon." He locked eyes with her and gave her a flirty smirk. He still wasn't planning on using her for her services, but he could still have some kind of fun with her. And oh boy was it satisfying to see her blush. God, she was so beautiful. "How old are you?"

"What's with the third degree?" _Shit!_ She was extremely nervous. She had worked extremely hard to keep many parts about her identity a secret and she wouldn't have this guy blow it. Sure he was extremely handsome and had icy blue eyes that made her heart skip a beat, but she wouldn't let him ruin everything by figuring her out.

"I told you, I just wanted to talk."

"Yeah, well no offense or anything, Damon, but it's kinda weird that you came to a strip club to talk." She did not understand this man. He practically screamed wealthy, in his designer suit and professional haircut. Sure, he looked miserable, but he clearly wasn't looking to get himself off. So why had he come here?

Damon didn't know how to reply to that, because he knew that it was an odd thing to do. In all honesty, he wouldn't have done it for any of the other strippers downstairs. There was something about this one though, this woman was different. He decided to deflect instead, and called her out on her own deflection. "You didn't answer my question."

She pulled herself together and asked sarcastically, "How old do I look?"

He smirked; she had some definite fire in her that refused to be put out. "Eighteen." Once again, he saw fear in her eyes and he knew that he was close. She definitely didn't look a day over twenty.

"Well, I'm not, I'm twenty one." _Shit shit shit! _She couldn't have this guy figuring anything else out about her. She knew she looked nervous and everything about her body language was giving her away. _What is with this guy? _No one else had ever questioned her, not even her boss. All they cared about was that she had a nice body and knew how to rub the men the right way. She knew she had to get it together, and quickly. She stared at him with daggers in her eyes, daring him to keep digging.

Seeing that she obviously didn't want to talk about her youth, Damon grudgingly switched topics. "How long have you lived here?"

She shot up out of her chair and started walking to the other side of the room. "I don't like all these questions." She turned to him and shot him a deadly glare. "Stop asking about me. You want to talk, fine, talk about something else, _anything_ else." He was getting dangerously personal and she hated it.

Damon scoffed, not comprehending just how over the line he had already crossed. "You don't like my questions? Got something to hide?" He said it with sarcasm, but enough curiosity for her to know that he suspected her. The smirk on his face set her off. She suddenly felt like she was being corned and interrogated. She felt adrenaline pulsing through her body at the realization of how close he was getting and she needed to get out of there.

"You don't know me," she hissed. "You don't know anything about me, and I'd like to keep it that way. Respect that."

"You strip in front of men for a living; you don't get to ask me to respect you." He didn't know what made him say it, but as soon as he did he regretted it. She walked up to him and slapped him across the face with more force than he had thought she could manage. He would be lucky if she didn't mark him. She pulled out the three hundred dollars he had given her earlier and shoved the bills roughly in his chest.

She looked at him with cold, hard, angry eyes. "Take your money and leave, asshole. Don't come back here and stay the hell away from me." And with that she turned on her heels and stormed out of the room, leaving him dumbfounded with his hand lightly rubbing his face.

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**A/N: Okay, so how'd I do? Be entirely honest; be ****brutally honest if you need to. I take criticism very well and I would ****absolutely love everyone's feedback. Don't hold back on me! Thank you**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi guys! First I want to say thank you for all the story follows and reviews! I was surprised to even get one review. You guys are awesome. I hope I didn't take too long to upload the new chapter. I'm going to try really hard to keep them updated at least once a week. Tomorrow is the season premier! I'm so excited. I've been counting down the days and now its finally here! Okay now, back to my story!**

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Sitting in a small deserted bar down the street from the strip club, Damon sat thinking about his night. Back in New York, he had a very set routine. Wake up in the morning, go straight to the office, stay till exhaustion, and then go home to sleep. He hadn't made a change in his routine for almost a year now. Life wasn't exciting anymore; there were never any new twists or surprises. He hadn't even been in Portland for twelve hours and his head was hurting from all the drama.

The evening had started out odd enough with Rebekah's blatant attempts to get in his pants. Ending up at a strip club had been completely random and totally unlike him. He should have enjoyed himself and had a good time. Hell, he had a beautiful woman _trying_ to give him a good time. No, he just screwed it up instead, insulted the gorgeous creature that was just doing her job. She hadn't opened up to him at all, in fact she had her walls way up and completely unbreakable. Damon knew though, just by looking in her eyes that she was scared and insecure. She may have been hiding a secret, but who was he to question her? He felt disgusted with his actions, and wanted nothing more than to find her and apologize. He couldn't go back to the club though, that much he was sure of. She would have thrown him out the moment she laid eyes on him. He knew he had to do something he just didn't know what. Damon wouldn't be able to leave Portland without apologizing to her. There was no reason for her to feel worse about herself than she clearly already did. He needed to find her.

He got up from his stool and left a five dollar bill on the counter. He hadn't ordered anything but the place was dead and he figured the bartender could use the tip. He was a smaller man with short brown hair that fell in his face. He looked much too young to be a bartender, but Damon didn't think too much of it. As Damon swung the door open to leave, he came face to face with the very woman he had set out to find. She wore a baggy navy zip-up sweatshirt with a tight white tee underneath. Her long legs were covered by jeans that hugged her thighs tight and flared out at her feet. She had her hair up in a messy ponytail and a dirty orange boho bag slung over her shoulders. How was it possible for her to look sexier in what she was wearing now than the lingerie and 'fuck me' heels she had been wearing earlier?

He looked into her beautiful brown eyes and saw nothing but anger and hatred. Remorse instantly flooded through him. Just as Damon was about to apologize to her, she spun on her heels and stormed off in the opposite direction. "No, please wait!" He yelled after her but she didn't turn back towards him, so he ran off to catch up with her. It was dark, but there were a few street lights that lit the sidewalk. "Please, I'm sorry!" When he caught up to her, Damon grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face him.

He was met with another slap to the face, and if it was possible this one stung worse. "Don't fucking touch me." She nearly growled at him with fire burning in her eyes. Okay, he definitely had some apologizing to do.

Rubbing his face lightly he laughed dryly and said, "Yeah, I definitely deserved that."

Her eyes changed when she realized that he honestly believed he deserved that. _Maybe I could hear him out..._ "Fine, what?" She met his eyes and had to look away. They were such a striking shade of blue and he was staring at her with such intensity.

Damon reached out slowly and touched her chin, turning her head to face him. He needed her to look at him while he apologized; she had to know that he meant it. He locked eyes with her and spoke as sincerely as he could. "I'm really sorry about how I acted tonight. Sometimes, I say shit before I take enough time to think it through. I'm a dick most of the time, but what I said to you was over the line. I'm sorry. Please know that I mean that."

She was speechless. The very last thing she had expected was for him to apologize. No one ever apologized for being rude to her or treating her wrong. The look on his face and the tone of his voice told her without a doubt that he was truly being sincere and he honestly hadn't meant to hurt her. She looked down at the sidewalk and whispered, "Thank you," in a soft voice.

After letting out a huge sigh of relief, Damon smiled at her. "You were headed into that bar earlier. Do you want me to buy you a drink?" He hoped that she might want to spend a little more time with him. Damon was completely enchanted by her and wanted to get to know her.

"No." He looked hurt at her quick rejection, so she sighed and glanced back at the bar. "The guy who owns the bar is also my landlord. I was gonna just go leave my rent with the bartender so he could give it to him." She always did everything in her power to make sure she never had to see her landlord. The guy was a creep. "I was just gonna go home."

"Well, its late. I'll walk you home." He hoped she wouldn't turn down his offer. It had gotten really dark and he didn't feel comfortable letting her walk home alone, even though she probably did it every night. He wasn't going to take no for an answer this time.

She shuffled her feet nervously and looked around, anywhere but at him. "Really, its fine I can-"

He cut her off before she could fully reject him. "I insist. It's not a big deal." She looked up at him shyly and just nodded her head. He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face.

"I still need to drop my rent off though, so..." She turned around and started walking back towards the bar. Damon followed next to her and opened the door for her. She turned and said to him, "Um, actually, wait out here? This will only take a second." She walked into the bar before he could reply and walked straight to the bartender.

"Hey Jeremy, give this to Klaus for me, okay?" She handed him her envelope with her rent in it.

"He keeps asking me questions Elena. He doesn't understand why you refuse to actually hand him the rent yourself. And he's getting suspicious. You're never home when he comes to see you. I can't keep tipping you off to help you otherwise he'll realize what I'm doing. He's smart. I don't want to lose you but you know why we have to keep doing this. I'm sorry."

"Hey, Jer its okay, I get it." _Dammit_. She looked back at the man waiting at the door. _Crap, what was his name again? _It didn't matter; she knew he was waiting for her. She suddenly got an idea and picked the envelope back up from the table. "You know what? When you see him tonight tell him to come by. I'll give it to him then and maybe that will help."

Jeremy shook his head vehemently. "No way Elena. There is no way in Hell that I am letting that sick bastard come to your place tonight with you there alone. I don't trust him and I will not be able to forgive myself if he hurts you."

Elena smiled; she loved the fact that her brother was so concerned for her. They were family and they would always look after each other. "Jeremy its okay." She tilted her head towards the door trying to bring her brother's attention to the man outside. "I won't be alone when he gets there."

Jeremy looked skeptical, and then worried. "You're bringing one of them home with you? I thought you promised me you weren't gonna go that far." He knew why they were here, and Elena had to keep up appearances, but she didn't have to go this far with it. Turning tricks was not something he would ever allow his sister to do.

"Relax Jer. He's not that kind of guy. He's not going to do anything to hurt me, and he's not gonna use me." As soon as she said it, she knew without a doubt that it was true. From the way he acted in the club tonight, he didn't want her, not like that. He didn't want to give her money to use her body; he wasn't that kind of guy. She knew that if he was there when Klaus stopped by that he would make sure nothing happened to her.

"Okay Elena, I trust your judgment. Just be careful, okay? I can't lose you." She saw the unrestrained fear in his eyes; the fear that had been there for about two years, ever since the accident. She wouldn't ever put him through that kind of pain again, not if she could help it.

"Hey, you ready to go yet?" The man from outside had walked in, and now that she saw him in proper light, she could truly appreciate his beauty. His dark jeans hugged his muscular legs and his black tee showed off his toned stomach perfectly. His arms were long, his shoulders broad and strong. When she reached his face she had to hold back a gasp. His eyes were breathtaking; they stood out in any lighting. He had thick gorgeous eyebrows shadowing his eyes, and a defined jaw. His hair was jet black and was messy, as if he had been running his fingers through it all night. _What I wouldn't give to run my fingers through that hair_. Where did that come from? _Pull yourself together Elena!_

"Oh, yeah sorry." She turned to Jeremy and gave him a pointed look before walking towards the door and saying, "Thanks, John."

He nodded in understanding and replied, "See you around, Isobel." He took a towel off the bar and started to busy himself cleaning, trying not to pay attention to his sister.

Damon stared at the pair in wonder. Something about their exchange felt forced, but he couldn't place it. Shrugging it off, he walked out of the bar with her. "So, where to?" Without saying anything, she simply pointed to the south end of the city and started walking in that direction. Damon followed after her, trying to come up with a way to start conversation.

She beat him to it. "I forget your name, sorry."

It hurt that she didn't remember his name, but then again she probably met lots of guys. How was she supposed to remember all of their names? "It's Damon." She smiled and nodded her head. "And your name is Isobel?"

Her smile fell and she looked away from him. "Yup," she said popping the p. He could tell that she was still holding something back, but he reminded himself that it was none of his business. She went silent afterwards and Damon was worried that she was finished speaking to him.

"So, what brings you to Portland, Damon?" He loved the way his name sounded coming from her and was glad that she wasn't going to ignore him the whole walk.

"I'm here for work. A client has a book signing event planned for tomorrow. Flew up here for it." _Shit_. He had completely forgotten about the event tomorrow. Good thing she unintentionally reminded him.

"Flew?" She was intrigued. "Where did you come from?"

"You ask a lot of questions for someone who doesn't like to answer them herself." Her pace faltered for a moment before she shrugged and gave him a sarcastic smirk. He sighed, figuring if he wanted to know about her he could share a little about himself as well. "New York City."

She laughed. "New York, huh? Nice city." Damon watched her as she started to walk in a weird way. It looked like she was trying to step on every crack in her path, and she swung her arms out lightly around her. She reminded him of a little girl.

"You've been to New York?"

She smiled at him. "I've been a lot of places. New York, New Orleans, Chicago, Nashville, the list goes on." As she finished, Damon detected sadness in her voice. He assumed she didn't visit these places for pleasure, and never really got to enjoy them.

"So where did you originally come from?" He hoped she didn't find it too personal of a question. At this point he didn't want to offend her anymore than he already may have.

She was quiet for a long time, deciding whether or not to answer him. She didn't see any harm in it and simply said, "Virginia."

Damon hoped she would elaborate, but when she didn't he asked about where she lived currently. They had been walking a few blocks and each block it seemed to get darker and more deserted. She nodded her head forward. "Just another block up."

Their surroundings didn't improve, if anything they just got worse. The houses in this area were dirty and falling apart. Most of them had broken windows; a few didn't even have doors. He felt a little relief when she pointed out her house. It used to be white, but now was covered in all types of different graffiti and markings. The roof looked like it was in decent condition though, and she had good windows, and a sturdy door. Her house was probably the nicest one on the street.

When they got to her porch, Elena looked up at Damon shyly. "Um, would you mind coming in with me? The power is off and its creepy as fuck in there at night." She needed him to stay, at least for an hour; just until Klaus came by.

Damon didn't hesitate in saying yes, and she smiled up at him. She walked to her front door and reached into a hole in the wall and pulled out a key. "This place is a piece of shit but the holes make great hiding places." He heard her laugh humorlessly as she pulled open the door. It was pitch black inside and he couldn't see a thing. Pulling out his phone for a light, he walked in before her.

"I see what you mean about the place being creepy at night…" The dim light from his phone was no use against the complete darkness in the house. He couldn't see more than a few inches in front of him.

"Hey, bring your light over here so I can light this candle." He felt her grab his arm and pull him towards her. She lit the candle as well as several others. It wasn't much, but it was enough to see a little better. From what he could see of the place, it was pretty gross. The walls were rotting and had holes in them. She had a makeshift bed in the center of the room; it was really just a mattress with a sheet and a few pillows on it. He watched her as she let her hair fall out of the ponytail and fall backwards onto the mattress.

"Why is there no power? Haven't you paid your electric bill?" It was weird that she would chose to come home to such darkness.

She snorted, and Damon found it adorable. "I've paid it. My landlord likes to keep my box out back locked so that I can't fucking turn anything on. He thinks if he keeps this up that I'll suck him off or make him a porn video or some shit. He's fucking creepy, but the rent is low and its close to the club. He owns a few other houses on this block and only rents them out to strippers. Sick bastard."

Not knowing what to say, Damon just walked over and silently asked for permission to sit. She nodded up at him he tried to get as comfortable as possible, but it was almost impossible on the lumpy mattress. He glanced down at her and she was laid out on her back with her arms crossed over her face, breathing lightly. She looked so young, but mostly peaceful and beautiful. Damon was sure he had never seen anyone as beautiful as her. There was a knock at the door and suddenly she shot up and went to her bag. He couldn't understand why she had reacted so quickly. He looked at her and she had gone completely pale, and when she met his eyes he saw undiluted fear.

There was another knock at the door, and Elena slowly walked towards it. She heard Damon get up and felt him close behind her. Opening the door, Elena let herself relax. _Damon is here. He won't let him hurt you. _She saw him, and even though her body tensed, her mind was still at ease. Klaus stood on her porch, staring at her with greedy blue eyes. His blonde curly hair was wet, sticking to his forehead, and she realized it had started to lightly rain. "Hello, Isobel darling." His English accent and seductive smirk was probably sexy to most of the women he met, but she felt nothing but disgust. "Its raining, aren't you going to invite me in?" He was so cocky, assuming she would let him in._ Fat chance in Hell._ It seemed that he hadn't noticed Damon's presence yet, but Damon made quick work to make himself known.

"Who are you?" Damon could sense that this man was putting Isobel on edge. Whoever he was, she didn't want him there. A strong sense of protectiveness came over him. When he met eyes with the stranger, he saw anger and curiosity. Clearly the man wasn't pleased to see Damon here either.

"I believe the more appropriate question would be who are you?" This was the first time in a few weeks that Isobel had answered the door for him. He had finally hoped for some action.

"Just take my rent and leave, Klaus. It's none of your business who I have over _my_ house." She shoved the envelope in his hands and he looked pleased at her response.

_So this is the landlord. _Damon's will to protect her became much more fierce, having just heard her talk about him a few moments ago in a way that showed he clearly made her uncomfortable. He couldn't help feeling like she had intended for him to be here when Klaus showed up. Maybe she actually wanted him to protect her. Damon knew there was no way in Hell that he would even let this guy touch her. Just as he thought it, he brought his arm out to gently push Isobel to the side and slightly behind him.

Klaus noticed the gesture and chuckled darkly. "Protective, are we?" His eyes darkened and he looked directly at her saying, "The dirty whore doesn't deserve protection." As soon as the words left his mouth, Elena slapped him, hard, across the face. He reacted quickly and took hold of her arm tightly, slapping her face back harder.

Damon's fist flew at Klaus' jaw, making a loud crunch on impact. Klaus stumbled backward on the porch into the rain and cursed loudly. He looked at Damon and growled, "You'll regret that. Sticking up for her will get you nowhere. The slut's only good for a nice fuck."

She cringed at his words, and Damon felt anger boiling inside him. It took everything in him not to run up and strangle Klaus right there. "Leave. Now." Klaus laughed at him, and while turning back in the opposite direction, sang, "You'll see."

Damon spun around to face the scared, broken woman. She had tears in her eyes and she was holding her face lightly. "Isobel?" She didn't react in the slightest to his voice. She looked like she was about to fall into pieces and Damon felt a stabbing pain in his chest. Her expression was heart-wrenching and without thinking twice about it, Damon brought her into his arms gently.

He could hear her holding back sobs that were desperately fighting to break through. He could feel her resisting any sign of emotion. Damon slowly brought her back into the house, locking the door behind him, and gently sat down on the mattress with her. She was shaking her head back and forth and he could still hear her holding back her cries. He didn't want her to hold back.

She felt weak. Elena felt weak and pitiful. The woman who had been so strong through so much and seen so much darkness was now falling apart in a stranger's arms. How was it possible? After the accident, she hadn't shed a single tear. For the past two years of running and hiding out with her brother, she hadn't ever let her walls down. They stayed up, strong and tight. How was it that now, even through all of that, she was breaking to pieces? She could feel the strong sobs struggling to break free, but she tried to hold them back. _Not in front of Damon. You can't let him see you break. _She shook her head a few times again, trying to disentangle herself from his arm, but he wouldn't let her.

"You don't have to be strong right now. I can see that you've been strong for far too long. Whatever you're holding in had been in there too long. Take a five minute break, and let it all out. Just let go." He continued to whisper soothing words in her ear, and gently stroked his fingers through her hair and down her back. At his touch, he felt her finally break, and the sobs she had been holding back were free. Her body shook as she cried out in sadness and pain. He didn't care that she was staining his shirt with tears, and he didn't care that she was just a stranger he had met a few hours ago. He was not going to leave her to break by herself; no one should ever have to go through that alone.

She hadn't meant to cry, she didn't want to give in. Elena was not weak, and she did not show weakness. Despite her attempts, she let herself shatter in his embrace. There was something to be said about being held and comforted by a stranger. And even though that's what he was, she didn't feel exposed; she felt understood. As if he knew her pain, and knew how to cure her. Of course, he didn't. There was no way for him to truly know her pain, right? But instead of dwelling on it, Elena just let herself fall apart in his arms. She let out all of her torment from the accident, the guilt from bringing her brother through this misery, and the shame for what she had been doing for money. She let it all crash down on her like a huge wave trying to pull her under. But she wasn't going to drown. Damon was there to make sure she would not drown. She knew that he would be there to pull her up, and she knew he would not leave her alone.

It felt like hours that she had cried, but it was most likely less. The whole time, Damon held her and whispered soothing words to her, rubbing her back and comforting her. Her sobs ceased, and her breathing quieted, but she remained against his chest.

Damon felt her breathing even out and he looked down to see her eyes closed. He gently moved her off his chest and repositioned her so that she was lying comfortably on the mattress. He pulled her sneakers off and wondered whether or not she would want to sleep in her jeans. He decided she probably wouldn't want him to remove them for her, so he let her be. He stood up to blow out the candles and leave, but just before blowing out the last one he turned to look at her. She was perfect; there was no one else as perfect as her. She reminded him of an angel, glowing in the soft candlelight. Damon felt so sad to see her living the life that she was. Someone like her was worth much more than that. She deserved much more than that.

He blew out the last candle, and turned to leave when he heard her murmur something. Damon slowly shuffled back towards the mattress and knelt in front of her so he could hear her. When she didn't say anything, he softly brushed his fingers against her cheek. Then, so quietly he wasn't sure he heard correctly, she said, "Stay." After the night she had, he didn't want to leave her. She was probably going to regret letting him stay in the morning, but he would deal with that when tomorrow came. Damon kicked off his shoes and lay on his back next to her. He put his arms behind his head and let himself drift. Just as sleep was about to take him, he felt her turn and rest her head on his chest, her arm lying limp across his body.

* * *

**A/N: As always, let me know what you think! Review this with questions and comments, I will try my best to answer all of them! Remember, don't be afraid to be BRUTALLY HONEST. Seriously, I want this story to be the best for you guys and its only gonna work if you guys let me know when I do something wrong! THANKS!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, so I know it's late, but it's still Wednesday and I still managed to get this new chapter up! I really hope you guys like this one and are okay with the way I went about it. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or followed this story or myself. You guys are awesome. Okay, I'll let you read now. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

Damon groaned and smacked his phone, effectively shutting it up. He opened his eyes to see a beautiful flow of brown hair spread across his chest. Smiling lightly, he closed his eyes intent on going back to sleep.

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

Groaning again, Damon grabbed the phone and answered in a growl, without looking at the caller ID. "What?"

"_Damon? Where are you?"_ Elijah's worried voice broke through Damon's sleepy haze and he was immediately awake. Shit!_ "I went to your hotel room this morning and knocked a bunch of times, but you didn't answer. I assumed you were just sleeping in a while longer, but enough is enough. I need you to get dressed and get down here. My event is starting soon. I'll let it slide this time, but you must be on time to the dinner I have planned tomorrow evening."_

Damon looked down at the woman sleeping peacefully on his chest and sighed. "Yes, I'm sorry Elijah. I will be right there. Give me a half hour." He hung up the phone without waiting for an answer and contemplated how to get up without rousing Isobel. With the way she was tangled up with him, it would not be easy. Very, painfully slowly, Damon slid out from underneath her, moving in a pillow to take his place. She moaned quietly and hugged the pillow. Thankfully, he hadn't woken her up.

He walked over to her bathroom and gagged at the sight. The toilet was absolutely filthy. He hoped to God she hadn't been using that. Damon decided his best bet was to just catch a cab back to his hotel and rush to get ready in time. He walked back over to the bed and slipped his shoes back on. As a last minute decision, he left her a short note and exited the house quietly. On the porch he locked her door and turned to see a woman on the porch to his right putting backpacks on her kids and sending them off with kisses. She had coffee skin with dark brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. When she turned to look at him, Damon gave her a polite smile in which she returned a wary look. Deciding not to dwell on it, Damon turned and made his way back up the street to a more busy area of the city where he could catch a cab and hopefully ease Elijah's worries.

Once he was showered and dressed, Damon checked his phone and saw three missed calls from Stefan. He shot him a quick text, explaining that he was busy with Elijah and would call him after the event. Hopefully that would placate him for now.

After a week of endless planning, the event went swiftly and smoothly. Other than the fact that Elijah had requested a publisher present, Damon truly wasn't needed; he was just there for appearances. He spent most of the time off mingling with other guests, picking up new clients and desperately avoiding Rebekah's greedy stares. Most of the time his mind wandered back to the beautiful woman he had spent the night with. It had been the first time in over a year that he had spent the night with a woman without having sex with her, and it felt kind of nice. Damon hadn't thought that he would get that feeling again, and was surprised to find it happen with a stranger. Even though he knew it was a slim chance in Hell, he wished that he would be able to see her again.

* * *

Elena woke up sometime around mid-afternoon. She smiled at the feeling of the sun on her coming in from her solitary window. Breathing in, she moaned quietly at the smell that overtook her senses. It was his smell; Damon's, the stranger that had held her and comforted her when she had finally broken. Elena winced slightly, remembering how weak she had actually been last night, but the feeling didn't last long. He hadn't pitied her like most others would have, she felt pure understanding in the way he had spoken to her and held her.

She rolled over, hoping to find him there, but she would be lying if she said she had expected him to stay. She tried to fight back the feeling of disappointment wash through her when she confirmed he was no longer there. Sighing, Elena stuffed her nose in her pillow, never wanting to remove his scent from her bedding. It was absolutely heavenly. Remembering she had to be at the club in about a half hour, she slowly dragged herself out of bed and went to her dresser.

Sitting on the top, under one of the candles, was three hundred dollars and a short note. She smiled, practically hearing his voice and seeing the smirk that went with it as she read it.

_**You gave this back without my permission, therefore it still belongs to you. I'll be in Portland a couple more days. Don't be a stranger, stranger. –Damon**_

Underneath his message he had scribbled in his cell phone number. Against better judgment, Elena programmed it into her phone. _Hey, you never know. _She quickly dressed in her lingerie and threw on a hoodie and baggy sweats to cover up before leaving the house. Just as she locked up, she turned to see Bonnie just leaving her house as well.

"Hey, Bon. Mind if I bum a ride?" Elena gave her a hopeful smile. Bonnie also worked at the club, but she was a bartender and not a dancer. She had been working there much longer than Elena and the two had formed a nice acquaintanceship. Bonnie would occasionally give her rides to the club, and if she didn't have a late shift, Elena would watch her kid's for her.

Bonnie smiled sweetly and replied, "Sure, Izzy, hop in." Elena's smile faltered. She truly hated that she had to use the stupid name with Bonnie. As much as she liked Bonnie, Jeremy hadn't been comfortable with it. _Stupid overprotective brother._ As they drove to the club, Elena noticed that Bonnie seemed a little tense, and kept her mouth pressed tight. Elena knew Bonnie's mannerisms well enough to know she had something on her mind.

"All right, Bon, spill. What's on your mind girl?"

Bonnie hesitated, not sure whether or not it would be appropriate to dig. She and Isobel were friendly, but she knew from the very beginning that this girl had her personal walls up and sealed tight. Throwing caution to the wind, she went for it. "Who was that man that left your place this morning?" Bonnie relaxed slightly when she saw Isobel smile in response.

"He was a guy that had been at the club earlier." She looked at Bonnie and saw worry in her eyes. "No, not like that. We didn't actually do anything, not that I didn't try. He just spent the night with me, no big deal." She knew how Bonnie felt about turning tricks. Dancing for money was one thing, but outright selling your body for sex was a whole other thing. Bonnie had successfully kept a roof over her kids head, food in their bellies, and clothes on their backs without resorting to such vile methods, and Elena was impressed.

Content that Isobel hadn't resorted to such extremes, she grinned mischievously and said, "He was hot as hell babe. You're telling me you didn't want to jump his bones?" Bonnie smiled hearing Isobel laugh; the girl definitely knew how to laugh.

"Of course I did. I'd be a damn fool to not want him. Oh God, his eyes. Did you see his fucking eyes Bonnie?" His eyes would be her undoing, she knew it. When he looked at her with those eyes she could just feel herself unravel under his stare but she couldn't find it in herself to hate it.

Bonnie just laughed in reply. They pulled up to the club and exited the car. Just before they walked into the club, Bonnie stepped in front of Isobel and lightly grabbed her wrist. She lowered her voice and said, "Just be careful, okay?"

Seeing Bonnie's concern and worried look made Elena's heart clench and her stomach drop. This woman truly cared for her and didn't want to see her get hurt. She didn't know her whole story, hell she didn't even know her real name, but she still cared for her. Feeling uncomfortable, and not knowing what to say, Elena nodded quickly and stepped into the club.

* * *

When the event came to a close and all the guests had vacated the room, Elijah inquired as to whether or not Damon would care to join him and Rebekah for dinner. Glad to have his brother as an excuse, he politely declined the invitation, ignoring Rebekah's disappointed scowl, and made his way up to his hotel room. Damon pushed the number two speed dial on his phone and Stefan picked up on the second ring.

"_Why is this the first time you're calling me? You got in last night and I don't even get a call until almost 24 hours later." _Stefan's voice was stern, as if he were reprimanding a child.

Damon scoffed. "Relax, mom. I promise to call next time I get to the park to play with the other kids. Jeez Stefan calm down. You're gonna give yourself worry lines and go prematurely gray. I can take care of myself."

He heard Stefan give a heavy sigh on the other side of the line. _"I just wanted to make sure you landed fine. You could have at least texted me letting me know you arrived. I don't ask for much."_

"Um, yes you do. But we can save that argument for another time. Did you want anything else, or can I go now?" Damon was seriously sick of his brother treating him like a child, especially since it was technically supposed to be the other way around. Right now, he just wanted to go to sleep.

"_Can't you just sit and talk to me for five minutes, Damon? Dammit." _Stefan huffed angrily and Damon realized Stefan had something on his mind.

"All right, Stef. What is it? Get it all out. Purge."

There was a slight pause on Stefan's end before he hesitantly said, _"I know you're probably not going to like this idea, but what if you used Portland as your time off that we talked about. You're already away and everything is fine here and you can just stay and relax."_

"Nope, no way Steffy, by the time I get back to New York I'll have been here three days. That's more than enough time away. I have that stupid dinner of Elijah's to go to tomorrow night and then the next morning I'm out of here. I won't budge on this." There was no way he was staying away from the office longer than necessary. He hadn't taken a vacation since he was promoted, and he didn't even remember how to do it properly, especially not alone. No, he had to go back to the office. Working was all he knew.

_"But Caroline and I were thinking-" _Damon cut him off quickly, "I don't care what you or Caroline were thinking. I'm coming home in two days. End of story. The company better not be in ruins when I get back, Stefan. I'll call you before I board." Damon hung up before his brother could get in another word and tossed his phone on the nightstand. He fell back on the bed and glared at the ceiling before he closed his eyes.

He cursed a few moments later hearing the shrill tone of his phone. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw it was a number he didn't know. "Hello?"

"_Fuck, Damon, I'm sorry I know this is totally out of line and I don't even know why I called you but- ow! Shit."_ Her voice was rushed and panicked, and Damon knew it was Isobel calling. _"Ah dammit, my fucking heel. Listen, I didn't have anyone else to call but there's this fucking creep from the club following me and I have a lot of fucking money on me and I don't want to lead him back to my place and I know I shouldn't even be calling you for this but-"_

"Where are you? I'll be right there." Damon quickly grabbed his jacket as she gave him fast directions. He rushed out of the hotel and hailed a cab, intent on getting to her as soon as possible.

* * *

Of all her fucking luck, of course she was being followed by some creep. As if she didn't already have enough shit to worry about, now she had to worry about being robbed. Her broken heel was making it difficult to walk properly, and every now and then when she turned her head Elena saw the man slowly getting closer. _Hurry up, Damon. Dammit._ She felt pathetic depending on him for the second time in 24 hours. However, if she had to choose between being broke and beaten or being dependant, the choice was obvious. She hadn't left the street she told Damon, but if she didn't throw the guy off soon he would close in on her.

Elena turned back to see how much space she had, and stopped in her tracks when she didn't see anybody. The man following her was no longer there. _Great, now I'm either just paranoid or I'm seriously screwed. _She pulled out her phone to call Damon when a clammy hand covered her mouth and a second one roughly held her waist. She tried to pull free but she was much weaker physically than she used to be and this man was much stronger than her. She felt herself being dragged into a tight alleyway and knew her attempts were futile.

"Stop moving, bitch!" The man slapped her across the face with the hand that had previously been covering her mouth, and when she let out a small yelp, he quickly put it back in place. The sting on her face was unbelievable. If she thought Klaus' slap yesterday was bad, this was excruciating. Elena tried kicking him, remembering some of her self defense lessons, but she was so tightly pressed between the wall and his body that she could barely move.

Elena wished desperately that Damon would hurry up and get there. At this point he was her last hope; she knew the ending of this story wouldn't be pretty. As a last attempt, she tried her best to scream out, but his hand was effectively muffling her. The monster holding her started to rip her clothes off, leaving her cold and for the first time she felt naked in just her lingerie. Her back was rubbing up against the brick wall behind her, cutting into her skin. In her whole life, she had never felt so dirty and so violated. Even as a stripper, she never felt this disgusting. Tears streamed down her face as she gave up the fight. Her will had completely left her, and now she just wanted to curl up and die. Nothing, no pain in the world could compare to this. She was sure of that.

She heard him unzip his pants and slide them down. Elena sobbed heavily, knowing without a doubt now that this was it. She was being raped. Maybe she deserved this, maybe this was some kind of sick karma for her past. She was sure her back was bleeding, but that thought took a backseat when he growled in her ear. "Aw, dont cry. You know you like it like this you little whore."

"Please, don't. Please!" It was all she managed to get out before he lifted her up and ripped her legs open and prepared to enter her. Elena continued to sob and shut her eyes, trying to think of something else, anything else to help take her mind away from there. She heard a vicious yell from somewhere to her left, and she was dropped to the cement ground, scraping her back down the wall as she fell. Her head met the cement and dizziness overwhelmed her. She could faintly hear grunting and the sickening sound of flesh pounding flesh. Desperately fighting to stay concious, Elena tried to see what was happening. The sounds died down and she felt strong comforting hands lightly grasp her face. The last thing she was able to comprehend were brilliant blue eyes before darkness took her under completely.

* * *

Damon knelt at the battered woman's side, hating himself for not getting there sooner. If only he had run a little faster, or left the hotel a moment sooner. He looked over to the body of her attacker, satisfied that he had at least beat him to unconciousness. The bastard deserved much worse than that, but Damon didnt need a murder case on his hands.

Damon gently moved his hands up to hold her face and carefully looked her over. She had a handprint on the side of her face that was sure to bruise, and he could see that her whole posterior was scraped up and bleeding. He knew she was going to be sore for days, but he needed to clean her scrapes. After seeing her bathroom this morning he wouldnt be able to clean her properly there. If anything she would end up severely infected instead of clean.

Seeing her clothes thrown to the side, he gently put them back on her, trying not to jostle her too much. Very delicately, Damon lifted her into his arms and grabbed her bag then carried her back to the main road. He called for a cab and laid her on his lap, telling the driver to hurry to the hotel.

When he arrived, he got many strange and suspicious looks. Damon wasn't surprised, this was a five star hotel and Isobel honestly looked like she had just crawled out of the ground.

After successfully manouvering both himself and Isobel into the room he placed her onto the bed and went to go run her a bath. Once the tub water reached a soothing and relaxing temperature Damon walked back over to the bed to lift the tattered woman and gently placed her in the tub. He left her lingerie on, not sure if she would be comfortable with him seeing her like that. He was worried that she was still unconcious, and if she didnt wake soon, he'd bring her to the hospital. He wasn't sure if she had hit her head when she was dropped.

Damon was just about to start washing her back of the dirt and blood when he heard a phone ring that he didnt recognize. Looking around the room, he realized it was coming from her bag. Thankful that he didnt have to dig, he lifted her phone out and looked at the caller ID that listed Jeremy as the caller. "Hello?"

There was silence on the line before the man on the other line answered in a confused voice. _"Uh, who is this?"_ It was familiar but he couldn't place it.

"Damon, who are you?"

_"Um, John. Where is Isobel? Why do you have her phone?" _

John? Why did that name sound familiar, too? And why was he listed as Jeremy? "She's with me. She had a bit of an accident so I'm taking care of it." That wasn't giving too much information out. Damon felt safe with his choice of words.

_"Accident? What the hell do you mean? Where is she? Is she okay?" _This time, the man's voice was rushed and panicked.

"I'm sorry, I don't know you and I don't know who you are or what you want with her. She's been through a rough night and I'm sure she doesn't want to see anyone tonight." There was no way he was giving her up to a stranger in her phone. For all he knew, this guy may want to finish her off.

_"She's my sister, you dick. Tell me where the fuck she is, now." _Sister? Isobel had a brother? Why weren't they living together? What kind of a deadbeat brother let his sister live in a rotting house with a perverted landlord?

"I'm not sure. How can I trust you're telling the truth? How do I know you're not just going to hurt her more?" Something was off.

_"You tell me where my sister is right fucking now, or I swear to God when I find you you're fucking dead." _

Sighing, Damon gave him the hotel address and room number. He figured if the guy turned out to be lying to him, he could always kick him out. Damon walked back over to the tub where Isobel was still lying there. He decided to continue washing her as he had planned before the phone call. He winced when he looked at her back. Most of the blood and dirt was gone, but it was still scraped and swollen.

Several minutes later, Damon heard the impatient pounding on his door. He opened the door to a panting and disheveled boy, as if he ran the whole way here. Upon closer inspection, Damon realized that this was the bartender from the night before. "Where is she? Where is my sister?" The fire in his eyes reminded him of the fire he had often seen in Isobel's, and he let him through, gesturing him towards the bathroom. Damon saw the color drain from his body as he looked at his sister.

"Oh my God. 'Lena, 'Lena wake up. Please wake up." Jeremy stared at his sister with nothing but fear and worry in his eyes. He couldn't lose Elena too, he just couldn't. After the accident, she promised they would always have each other. She promised him that she would never leave him. _Don't you dare die on me, Elena. Don't you leave me. _Jeremy placed his hands on his sisters face and gently stroked her bruised cheek. What kind of monster would do this to his sister? "Elena, please wake up. I need you, please." She didn't move, and Jeremy started to panic. He then remembered the man that was watching him. _Shit. _He stood up and turned to look at him. "What happened?" His voice was hard.

Damon looked at the boy's heartbroken expression and knew then that he wasn't lying. This man was Isobel's brother. But he hadn't called her Isobel, he had called her Elena. Tucking that piece of information in the back of his head for later, he sighed sadly and leaned against the sink. "I don't know everything. All I know is that about an hour ago she called me panicked saying that someone was following her and she didn't want to lead him back to her place. She asked me to come get her, so I quickly got in a cab to take me to her. By the time I made it to her…" Damon paused, not sure if he should continue. He didn't want to be the one to relay the story.

Jeremy looked at the man he remembered from last night with hard eyes. "I need to know what happened to my sister. She's unconscious and unable to tell me. What happened?"

"I managed to get there in time before anything really _could_ happen. When I arrived she was lifted off the ground and pushed into a brick wall by a man who had his pants around his knees." Damon's voice was full of disgust, and he continued saying, "I stopped him before he had a chance to continue and beat him until he was unconscious. I couldn't take her back to her place, that bathroom is filthy. So instead I brought her here to try and clean some of her wounds."

Watching the man tell the story with such disgust and sincerity in his voice, Jeremy knew that Elena was right to trust him. This man had taken care of his sister last night with Klaus, and now it seemed he had been there to protect her again. "Thank you. For last night as well."

Damon was taken back. "How did you know about last night?"

Jeremy scoffed. "She's my sister. I wouldn't let that fucking creep anywhere near her unless she had someone she trusted with her. And seeing how you've saved her twice now, I can see she made the right choice. You can be trusted." He held out his hand and Damon shook it firmly.

Hearing that she trusted him gave Damon a feeling he couldn't exactly describe. It was a gratifying feeling, as if he actually did something right for once and was actually getting acknowledged. This girl was dragging up a bunch of emotions that he just wasn't used to feeling. Damon looked back at the woman in the tub and nodded towards her. "We should probably get her out and dressed. Her wounds are all clean, but they're going to take some time to heal."

After giving an affirmative nod, Jeremy helped carry his sister out of the tub and into the bedroom. He watched as Damon went to his dresser and pulled out a navy button up shirt and a pair of white boxers.

Holding out the clothes in front of him, Damon walked towards the brother and sister. "Um, you probably want to get her out of those," he said gesturing towards her lingerie. "Do you uh, want my help? Or should I just wait in there?" He pointed to the bathroom, not sure if his help would be appreciated.

Jeremy's eyes hardened, protective of his sister. He knew that lots of men had probably seen her exposed, but he wouldn't do that to her without her permission first. "I got it, thanks."

Once she was dressed and he was given the signal he could enter, Damon walked back towards the bed. The boy was sitting on the bed with his sister's head in his lap, gently stroking her hair. "You can leave her there for now. She should wake up soon…" When the boy nodded, Damon went to go get cleaned up and dressed himself. Carrying Isobel had gotten him dirty as well. "I'm just gonna hop in the shower. I'll only be a few minutes."

When the man went into the bathroom, Jeremy seriously contemplated taking his sister and leaving. Unfortunately, Elena was a bit too heavy for him to successfully carry all the way back to either of their houses. Sighing in resignation, he leaned back against the headboard; still gently caressing his sister's hair. He thought about what she had been through and how she would feel when she woke up. Why hadn't she called him in the first place? Why had she called this Damon guy? Jeremy felt frustrated, angry that he couldn't be there for his sister when she truly needed him like she had been there for him. He couldn't help the guilt that coursed through him.

When Damon exited the bathroom, he saw the anguished look upon the boy's face. "Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault, or mine, or hers. It's that sick monster's fault. He did this. If you beat yourself up about it, you're only going to hurt her more. If she loves you with as much intensity as you love her, she won't want you to feel guilty." He knew what he was talking about. Damon could list on two hands and a foot the amount of times that Stefan had gotten severely hurt and Damon had blamed himself. Each and every time, Stefan would only be more miserable seeing the guilt on Damon's face. Eventually, Damon learned that what his brother had needed was just to be loved and comforted. Stefan never wanted pity, and he never wanted to know that he was the reason for Damon's suffering. In the end, it was better to just have a happy, comforting face.

Jeremy knew that Damon was right, but everything inside him screamed that this was his fault. That he shouldn't have even let Elena run away, and he shouldn't have run with her. Hell, he wasn't even technically with her. They had to put up face public appearances, pretending to be strangers. Jeremy couldn't even count how many times he had seen Elena upset in public and want to run and hold her, but wouldn't be allowed to. If they were going to be running together, they should be running _together._ Jeremy vowed that when she woke up he wouldn't let them live like that anymore. Consequences be damned, he would not leave his sister.

As the minutes passed without any changes, Damon sighed and grabbed a blanket from the closet. He wrapped himself up in it and laid on the loveseat at the foot of his bed. Both men lay there, unable to sleep, waiting for the same girl that they both cared about to regain consciousness.

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**A/N: Hope you guys liked it! As always, review! I can't make the story any better unless you guys help me out! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I am so sorry that this chapter is so late. I had a really tough time getting my ideas out in this chapter and had terrible writers block. To make it up to you guys though im going to try to get the next chapter posted by Wednesday, that way I can get back into a regular routine. Plus then you guys don't have to wait as long. So, again im really sorry but I hope you like the chapter!**

* * *

She couldn't open her eyes. She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. Her whole body felt heavy, and her head felt foggy. It was a weird sensation, for she could feel, hear, and smell her surroundings. The only problem was, she couldn't respond to them. Elena felt herself wrapped in warm arms she could never forget and could hear easy breathing from over her head. Her nose picked up a scent that she had engrained in her head, and she knew she was safe in her brother's arms. _How had she ended up here? _The last thing she could remember was calling Damon just before… _No. No, it couldn't have happened._

Memories started to rush through her mind, and she remembered quick flashes of what had occurred that night. Calling Damon… getting grabbed from behind… being pressed roughly against the cold brick wall…feeling like she'd rather be dead… As if to add to the painful memories, she felt the burning pain all throughout her back. It was as if Elena was feeling herself rubbed up against the rough wall all over again. And Damon had saved her? Yes, she remembered seeing his unmistakable blue eyes before succumbing to the darkness that had been threatening to overtake her. _How did I end up with Jeremy?_

Just then, Elena could hear the strained voice of Damon. Damon and Jeremy were both with her? "She's been unconscious for about an hour. Dammit!" She heard a low thud. It sounded like he punched a dresser. "I should have taken her to the hospital immediately." _Hospital, for what? I'm fine. _Had she really been unconscious for an hour? It only felt like a few minutes.

Jeremy moved underneath her slightly. "No! No hospitals. She's fine. She'll be fine." If she could, Elena would have hugged him. She could hear in his voice how worried he was, but she also knew all too well why they couldn't go to the hospital.

"She's your sister! How can you not want to make sure she's not dying?" Elena could hear the disgust strongly in his voice. _He doesn't understand…_

"Dick. Of course I want to make sure she's not dying! You don't get it. I can't take her to the hospital." Worry shot through Elena, and she felt panic rise inside her. _Jeremy, shut up! Don't tell him anything else. _If Damon had somehow gotten in contact with Jeremy, then he already knew too much.

She heard Damon let out a frustrated huff. "Listen, if it's about the money, don't worry about it. I'll pay for the medical bill, but we need to take her in!" Elena felt a strong sense of gratitude. That would be the third time in about 24 hours that he had done something to protect her. He would pay for her medical bill? Why would he do that?

She knew Jeremy would be wondering the same thing, and it was confirmed with his next question. "You would do that for us; for her? You'd pay for her medical expenses? …Why?" Elena could feel her strength start to return, and if she had wanted to she could have opened her eyes. However, she was now curious as to what Damon's response to the question would be. She heard him shuffle around the room. When the silence dragged on, Elena lost hope that he would answer.

Just as she prepared to open her eyes, he spoke softly. "No one should have to go through what she went through tonight. She called me for help, and I was quick getting there but obviously not quick enough. If something happens to her, it'll be my responsibility. And from the looks of things, you two don't have much in terms of money, but that shouldn't stop you from getting her the help she deserves. I have more money than I know what to do with. If I need to spend a couple thousand dollars to make sure she's healthy, then you better be damn sure that that's exactly what I'm going to do."

Even if she had been planning on saying something, she was speechless. Elena hadn't heard anyone talk about her with such sincerity since before the accident, besides Jeremy. She couldn't stop the smile that lightly graced her face, and she slowly opened her eyes. Damon was sitting on a chair opposite the bed with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.

Elena turned her head up to look at Jeremy and saw the biggest smile she'd ever seen stretch across his face before he yelled out and hugged her tightly. "Elena! Thank God you're okay." Behind the happiness, she saw the fear and the worry. She felt awful. _He must have been through Hell while I was unconscious. _Sometimes she forgot that he really was still just a kid. They both were.

Wanting to rectify any pain she had put her brother through, Elena twisted around and threw her arms around his neck, holding him close. "I'm so sorry if I worried you Jeremy." She was whispering soothingly into his ear. "I promised I would never leave you and I plan on keeping that promise. I love you." She pulled back to look into his eyes and saw a tear lightly roll down his cheek. Smiling softly, she wiped it away with her thumb.

She was so caught up in comforting her brother that she didn't notice when Damon approached the bed. The feeling of relief that washed over him seeing that she was safe was overwhelming. He couldn't think of a time that he had been so relieved of someone's safety. Damon was also taken back by how much he had already grown to care for Isobel. Or was it Elena? _I'll have to bring the identity issue up soon…_

He coughed softly to get her attention, and when she turned to look at him he internally winced. Her natural beauty and glow was hidden behind the nasty bruises and scarring scrapes all over her body. Damon knew that bruises got worse before they got better, and he didn't want to think about what they would look like tomorrow. "How are you feeling?"

Elena cringed at his question. It seemed harmless enough, but he had put a lot of emotion into the question and it brought back all the memories of the night all over again. She let out a breathy laugh and looked down at the mattress. "I've been better, you know?"

Damon stepped towards her slowly, looking to her brother first waiting for a silent approval. When the boy nodded tightly, Damon knelt down on the bed and lightly brought his hands up to cradle her cheeks. "Hey, look at me." She lifted her eyes slowly and their gazes locked. "You're going to get through this, okay?"

With the way he was looking at her and the pure conviction his voice held, Elena had no other choice but to nod her head in response. She knew he was right. She was strong, and she wouldn't let that monster win.

"I need you to answer me honestly. Does anything hurt? Are you dizzy? Do you feel sick? Do you have a headache?" Damon furrowed his eyebrows as he waited for her reply.

Elena let out a laugh. "I will have one soon enough with all these questions."

Damon smiled, glad that she at least maintained her sense of humor. He lifted his eyebrows at her, silently telling her to stop deflecting and answer the questions.

"My back and my face just feel sore, no, no, and no."

"Did you hit your head at all earlier?"

"I think I did, but not too badly. I um, I think that all the stress and panic I was feeling just caused my body to shut down. I feel fine now." Elena shrugged her shoulders. She truly did feel fine. The place where she hit her head didn't hurt and it wasn't swollen from what she could tell. The only things that truly hurt were the scrapes on her back and the mark on her face. She groaned loudly and both men looked at her with worried faces. "I'm gonna look like Hell tomorrow." _Shit! What am I gonna do for the club? They won't want me to dance all fucked up like this. Dammit. _

Remembering a more important issue, Elena got off the bed and turned to look at her brother accusingly. "How did you even get here?"

Jeremy bowed his head in guilt. Elena would not be happy to hear that their cover had been blown. "I uh, called your cell phone. Damon answered 'cause you were still unconscious." Ready to just get it over with, Jeremy rushed out the rest. "I forced Damon to tell me where you were 'cause I was really worried! And he knows I'm your brother and by now he's probably figured out that your real name isn't Isobel and mine isn't John." After taking a deep breath, Jeremy slowly brought his gaze to meet his sister's. She wasn't looking at him, though. She was staring at Damon, her face panic-stricken.

Damon looked at Elena and saw the fear and anxiety in her eyes. He didn't know why she was trying to keep her identity a secret, but he knew without a doubt that he was in too deep with her to blow her cover. Damon was willing to do just about anything to protect her. Just as he was about to assure her that she could trust him, she pointed a finger at him and spoke strongly.

"You're not going to tell anyone. You have to keep this a secret Damon." Elena closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. When she opened them again she spoke with conviction. "You're going to promise me that you won't tell anyone." She raked her hands through her hair, pulling roughly. "Dammit! This wasn't supposed to happen."

As he slowly walked to stand in front of her, Damon cupped her face in his hands and stared into her gorgeous chocolate eyes. "I promise. Your secret and your identities are safe with me." She visibly relaxed in front of him. Trying to lighten the mood, Damon smirked at her and said, "Just for the record, Elena is a much prettier name than Isobel." Seeing her smile gave him such a powerful feeling. He determined that she was at her most beautiful when she was smiling. Her face may be temporarily wrecked from tonight's incident, but when she smiled it was like all of the blemishes disappeared and all of her natural beauty shone through strong.

Jeremy coughed and looked at Damon. "I need to speak to my sister privately." They still had some things they needed to discuss, like why Elena hadn't called him for help and where they would go from here.

Damon nodded curtly and stepped away from Elena. "I'm gonna head down to the bar. I desperately need a drink." He turned his attention to Elena and said, "When you guys are done, just send me a text to let me know." After grabbing his phone, Damon swiftly left the apartment. He desperately wanted to know more about their situation, but knew pushing the subject wasn't going to get him anywhere. He needed to give them some privacy, and a cold glass of bourbon was calling his name at the bar.

Back in the hotel room, Jeremy walked over to Elena and grabbed her hands gently. "Elena, why didn't you call me tonight? I'm so grateful that Damon was able to save you, but what if he wasn't? Why didn't you call me? I would have never forgiven myself if something had happened to you."

Elena smiled softly at her brother. "After everything that happened, this is going to sound like a really stupid reason. I didn't want anyone to see you save me. We can't blow our cover Jeremy. I'm sure we could have talked our way out of it to anyone who may have seen us, but I guess I wasn't fucking thinking clearly. Damon had saved me from Klaus last night and I just- I knew I could trust him and that he would be there for me. I'm sorry if I upset you."

Jeremy huffed angrily at his sister._ Seriously, that was her reason? She was almost raped tonight and could have been killed, and her excuse was that she didn't want their fucking cover to be blown? _"Keeping our cover isn't as important as your life, Elena! You could have died tonight! So our cover gets blown, big fucking deal! We just pack our shit and move cities. It's nothing we haven't done before!"

Hearing her brother's harsh words, Elena winced. He was taking this too personally. She wasn't choosing Damon over Jeremy; she was just trying to protect their identities. Granted, the fact that Damon had dropped everything to rush to her rescue was extremely sexy and Elena was entirely grateful. However, she hadn't been thinking that way when she had called Damon. She didn't know what it was, but she felt completely and irrevocably safe with him. They had only known each other for a little over 24 hours, but they had formed a solid bond. It was still a different bond from her and Jeremy's, though, and as far as Elena was concerned family always came first. "Jer, I'm sorry."

"Elena, what are we doing? We can't keep this up. Are we going to live like this forever?" They had been running for two years, but it felt much longer. Elena had never wanted them to stay in one city for two long. Jeremy didn't have a place to call home anymore. All he knew was that he belonged with Elena, and that the two of them had to work together to protect each other.

Elena sighed. Of course she knew it was wrong to throw her brother into this life. Hell, she didn't like it very much either, but if they wanted any chance to stay alive then this was how they had to live. "Jeremy you know the reason we have to keep running like this. If we ever get found, that's it; game over. I don't want to live like this either. I would love to have a permanent home with you where we made our own friends and had our own successful lives. But for now that's just a dream, a long term goal. For now our goal is to stay alive." Elena wrapped her arms around her brother's neck and held him close. She whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry that we have to live like this. I never wanted this life for you."

Hearing her phone chime, Elena pulled away from Jeremy to go check it. It was a text from Damon saying that the bar in the lobby was closing and he had to come back up. "Damon's coming back up. He should be here any second." Right on cue, there was a knock at the door and Elena went to let Damon in.

Jeremy still had to discuss their living situation and figured it didn't matter if Damon was in the room or not. "Elena, I don't want you going back to that house alone. I can move in if you want, or you can come live with me."

Elena shook her head. "No way Jer, it's just not an option. We can't live together, especially not in this city. Klaus already knows I live alone and as his bartender if you move in he's going to get suspicious. He also won't be too happy if I leave his house and move to another one somewhere else in the city. He's not the type of person I want to have as an enemy. He may be a sick fucking bastard but he has too many connections for me to not be cautious of him."

Ignoring the fact that it was probably out of line and way overstepping his boundaries, Damon made an offer. "Elena, you can stay here for tonight. I don't want you going home tonight either, especially not alone. And if you want I can stay with you tomorrow night, but I'm afraid the next morning I have a flight back to New York." As much as he wanted to, there was no way Damon could extend his trip. Stefan may have given him the 'okay' but it wasn't Stefan's approval that he needed. There was only one man who had been controlling Damon's work schedule for the past year, and it wasn't Stefan. His chances of being able to stay were worse than his chances of winning the lottery.

Elena wanted to decline the offer right away. She was glad to have his help but this time he would be openly sacrificing the remainder of his time in Portland just to make sure she was okay. When she looked at Jeremy's face, however, she knew he would feel much more comfortable if she accepted the offer. _Shit, I might even be able to get a good night's sleep in a decent bed for once. _"I'll stay here for tonight. I don't even want to go back to that hell hole tonight. As for tomorrow, we'll play it by ear. Tonight was just a freak thing. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before and there's no reason it will continue to happen. How I feel tomorrow will determine whether or not I want you to stay over." She looked to both men and asked, "Okay?" They both nodded and she smiled.

Damon looked to Jeremy. "You can stay here tonight, too. It's real late and there's no reason for you not to stay. You two can take the bed and I'll take the couch over here." When he saw that Jeremy was about to protest, Damon cut him off. "I've slept on enough couches in my lifetime. I've perfected the art of couch sleeping so that I'm comfortably sleeping like a baby." He smirked and grabbed a blanket from the closet next to the bathroom. "Now, I don't know about you two but I am fucking beat. Stay up, talk, eat popcorn, whatever. I don't care. I'm going to bed." With that, Damon plopped himself down onto the loveseat and closed his eyes.

Jeremy looked at Elena and shrugged before pulling off his shoes and jeans, leaving him in only a tee shirt and his boxers. After Jeremy had climbed into the bed, Elena slowly crawled in next to him. For the first time in two years, as Elena closed her eyes to let sleep take her, she felt completely one hundred percent safe.

* * *

Damon groaned at the sound of a knock on his hotel room door. _Who the fuck is knocking on my door at..._ he picked up his phone to look at the time, _8:30 in the fucking morning?! _Damon rolled off the small couch and pulled on a pair of jeans, stuffing his phone in his pocket. Before walking to the door he glanced at his bed and saw Elena and Jeremy sleeping peacefully. Jeremy had his arms wrapped protectively around his sister and Damon smiled at the sight.

When he opened the door, he squinted in the light and saw a small older woman with her gray hair pulled back into a tight bun and a silver tray in her arms. "Room service, sir." _Room service? Who the fuck ordered room service? _

"That's not mine." Damon shook his head at the woman.

She looked up at him with furrowed brows, increasing the wrinkles on her forehead. "Damon Salvatore?"

Damon spoke hesitantly. "Yes, that's me."

"Then this is yours, sir." She brought her eyes down to the tray to bring his attention to the solitary card. Scribbled in neat script across the envelope was his name, _Damon Salvatore._

He slowly picked the card up and looked at the old woman questioningly. "Who sent this?"

She shook her head. "I don't know, sir. Have a nice day." The woman smiled softly and walked away down the hall.

Standing in the doorway, Damon opened the envelope to read the contents. After reading the note he crunched the paper in his fist and looked behind him to make sure Elena and Jeremy were still sleeping. Figuring he had about an hour and a half before they woke up, he stormed down the hallway and into the elevator. When he reached the lobby he swiftly pulled out his phone and hit his speed dial button. After what felt like hours he heard a groggy irritated voice mutter _"What, Damon?" _

Damon spoke quickly in a hard voice. "I'm not coming back to New York yet. Consider this my vacation time. Tell Andie to clear out my schedule for the week." Without waiting for a reply Damon snapped his phone shut and spun to face the bar room. Seeing that it was closed, Damon rushed out of the hotel. _There's gotta be one damn bar that's open this early in this city. _Without pausing to find directions, he set off down the street to find one.

* * *

When Elena opened her eyes, it took her a few moments to process where she was and who she was with. Once she remembered where she was, she remembered why she had ended up there and shuddered. Last night had been one of the most terrifying, stressful, and miserable nights of her life. When she tried to sit up, Elena realized she was tightly wrapped up securely in her brother's arms. After disentangling herself from his grip, she turned to look at Jeremy's sleeping form. He was so young and innocent in his sleep and Elena wished he would stay that way forever. She felt guilty knowing that she was forcing him to grow up much too quickly. Looking at the bedside table clock, Elena saw that it was 9:30. She smiled, glad that she hadn't slept in too late.

As she walked to the bathroom, Elena noticed that Damon wasn't on the couch anymore. She looked around and saw that he wasn't even in the hotel room. _Oh well. It's his room, he can come and go as he pleases. _When she looked in the mirror she let out a soft gasp. Her cheek was slowly forming a dark bruise. It wasn't as bad as it would be in a few hours, but it was still pretty nasty. Elena twisted around to look at her back and winced. She had scrapes and gashes all up and down her back. Her shoulders were the worst. Elena decided to take a shower to rid herself of the gross feeling she had. She knew Damon had bathed her last night, but it was always more satisfying and relaxing to be able to do it by yourself.

Jeremy woke up to the sound of the shower and sat up. He panicked when he noticed that Elena was no longer next to him until he realized she was in the shower. Looking around, Jeremy also noticed that Damon was no longer in the hotel room with them. He thought back to the proposition Damon had made last night and couldn't help but feel relieved. It wasn't the most ideal solution since he would still be away from his sister, but Jeremy knew that Damon could be trusted to protect her. He laid back against the headboard waiting for his sister to get out of the shower.

* * *

Sitting in a small, run-down bar about six blocks from the hotel, Damon sat on his stool staring at his bourbon. He glanced down at his watch and saw that he should probably be getting back to his room soon if he wanted to be there when Elena woke up. However, he knew he had to wait for the call that would surely come. It was unavoidable after his call to Stefan saying he was taking the week off. Just then, Damon's phone rang. Even though he knew who the caller would be before looking at the caller ID, he still groaned seeing the confirmation. "Hello."

"_Damon. Stefan just informed me that you would be taking the week off." _The man's voice was low and disapproving with just a hint of warning in it. _"Is this true?"_

"Yup," he answered, popping the p. He really didn't want to have this conversation, especially not this early in the morning and while he was unfortunately still sober.

"_I see."_ His tone was amused. _"And what about our deal?"_

Ah yes, that stupid deal. "As far as I'm concerned I've kept up my end of the deal so far. For the past year I have lived and breathed this damn company. I've never taken a sick day and I've worked every damn weekend. I'm taking one single personal week. Deal with it. The company can survive without me. Stefan has it under control. Besides, Stefan takes personal days all the time."

"_Stefan is not currently my concern." His voice was harsh. "You are Damon, and so help me, God, if you embarrass this company or the Salvatore name again you know just exactly what the consequences are."_

Damn, as if he didn't already hear that warning enough fucking times back in New York. "Yeah, yeah I got it. Mind my manners, hold my tongue, yadda yadda yadda. Are we done here?" There was a pause on the other line and Damon let out an exasperated huff.

"_Why are you staying in Portland, Damon?"_

"That is none of your business."

"_You're my son. That makes it my business."_

"Not this time. Again, are we done here?" Damon had his teeth clenched and his hand tightened into a fist on the bar. His father never failed to piss him off and get him all worked up.

"_Very well. I expect to see you in your office on Monday morning. No exceptions Damon, otherwise I will consider your end of the deal broken."_

Damon shut his phone and slammed it on the bar, finishing his drink in one swallow and enjoying the burn as it traveled down his throat. Glancing at his watch again, Damon knew he had to get back soon but needed to calm down first. He ordered another drink and promised that he would head back after this one.

* * *

After Elena showered and dressed in more of Damon's clean clothes, she turned to Jeremy. "Um, I was thinking of going to the diner down a block to pick up breakfast. What do you want?"

He stood up from the bed. "I'll come with you."

Elena gave her brother and exhausted look. "Jeremy, listen I know you want to make sure I'm safe but it's ten o'clock in the morning. It's broad daylight and there are tons of people on the street. I have no problem letting you or Damon stick near me at night, but not during the day. Please, I can take care of myself."

After fighting with himself for a few moments, Jeremy nodded. He still didn't feel comfortable with her being on her own, but she was stubborn and he knew he had to pick his battles. She was right; no one would be likely to try something during the day with loads of witnesses. And plus the diner was right down the street. "Just pick me up a buttered bagel or something. That's fine."

Elena smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'm just gonna call Damon and see if he hasn't gotten something already and if he wants me to pick him up something." She dialed his number and was impressed when he answered on the second ring.

"_Elena? What's wrong? Is everything okay?" _His voice was panicked and rushed.

Elena laughed into the phone. She went to grab her purse and made her way to the door where she put on her shoes. "Jeez, relax Damon. First of all, I'm fine. Besides the fact that I'm starving, which brings me to my second point. Did you already have breakfast, and if not did you want me to pick you something up at the diner a block down the street?" She opened the door a crack and turned to wave to Jeremy, dropping her hand holding her phone down to her shoulder.

"_NO! Elena, don't leave the hotel room!" _

Elena had only heard him say "hotel room" and missed the rest of his warning. When she had the door all the way open, she froze in place. Her breath was stuck in her throat and she couldn't move a muscle. Standing in front of her, outside of Damon's hotel room was Klaus. "Hello, love. Oh wait, I forgot, how silly of me." He smirked and stepped closer to her. "It's Elena, isn't it?"

* * *

**A/N: So, what'd you think? Please leave me reviews and let me know what you guys think, and maybe predict what will happen next or how Klaus found out? Thank you to everyone who reads and enjoys this story, I love you all!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! Okay, so again I'm sorry for the wait, but if you read my note you know that Hurricane Sandy left me without power for 6 days and without internet for 10. As I'm currently writing this, my power keeps going on and off from the new storm that's hitting my area. Anywho, thank you guys for sticking with me! I also want to thank everyone who has favorite and followed this story! I really loved writing this chapter, even though it gets kind of graphic. This is where I'm going to put in a warning:**

**I know that in chapter 3, I had written an almost-rape scene. Well, this chapter it gets worse. So there's your warning. I don't wanna give it away completely!**

**Alright, I'm gonna quit typing and post the damn chapter already!**

* * *

"Klaus." The name left her throat in a choked whisper, barely audible. Her mind flooded with questions. _How did he find me? When did he figure me out? What do I do? Where is Damon? _Elena's mind was working too quickly for her to keep up. The only thing she could truly comprehend was that Klaus was in fact standing right in front of her. His mischievous eyes and menacing smile made her stomach churn. Faintly in the jumbles of her mind, Elena was able to hear Damon's voice through the phone.

"_Elena! What's going on? Who's there? Elena!" _The panic in his voice was evident and as much as Elena wanted to soothe his worries she knew it was impossible. She couldn't even find the ability to answer him. _"Do not hang up this phone and do not leave the hotel room. I'm on my way." _Unfortunately his words couldn't soothe her. There was no way he would be able to reach her in time. Elena hung up the phone and tucked it back in her pocket. He was on the way and that was the best he could do for now.

Even knowing it was futile, Elena attempted to blow off his statement. She spoke in the most confident voice she could muster and lifted her chin. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. My name is Isobel, you know that Klaus." She internally winced. Her attempt was pathetic. The tremor in her voice was obvious and the fear in her eyes wouldn't fade. Klaus' eyes narrowed and he tilted his head to the right.

"Come now, darling. Don't we know better than to lie by now? Let's not make that mistake again, hmm?" He gave her a wicked grin and chuckled when she visibly cringed at his words. "Since you were not so hospitable last time we met, be a dear and invite me in this time." Klaus saw that she was too tensed to even answer, and smiled widely when she simply nodded her head and moved to the side to let him enter. Just as he was about to walk through the doorway he was blocked by his bartender.

"No way in Hell." Jeremy growled at Klaus and pulled Elena behind him. No matter how hard they tried it seemed they couldn't escape him. After last night, Jeremy was feeling extremely protective over his sister and was willing to do anything to keep her safe. Unfortunately, Jeremy was still only just a teenager. What could he truly do to keep his sister safe?

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Klaus glared at him and if looks could kill… "You're going to want to let me in."

"Jer, hey it's okay." Elena tried to soothe her brother. She knew it would be useless, but she didn't want Jeremy to be hurt by Klaus. She had felt his wrath before and she would be damned before she let her brother feel the same pain. She gave his arm a small tug to pull him away from the door to let Klaus enter.

"Much better, thank you. Now, what are we going to do about you two, hmm? Dirty little secret you have there. Jeremy and Elena Gilbert." His smile grew as their bodies tensed. There was no denying it now, he had caught them.

"What do you want Klaus?" Elena tried her hardest to sound unfazed. The truth was she was terrified. _How the hell did he find out about us? _She had been so confident in her and Jeremy's identities. Now it was all shot to hell. There was no easy way out of this. If there was one thing Elena had picked up on Klaus it was that one way or the other he would get his way. She desperately hoped Damon would arrive soon, but didn't know how he could save her this time.

Klaus walked over to the couch and made a polite gesture with his hand. "May I?" He sat without waiting for an answer, folded his hands in his lap and leaned over resting his elbows on his knees. "Well, Elena," he smirked at her, "as it turns out, you have a pretty high price on your head. There's someone out there who desperately wants to find you. Curious, isn't it?"

Seeing his eyes light up with excitement made her uneasy. Klaus was the type of man who enjoyed making others uncomfortable. He was like a hunter going in for the kill. Approaching slowly, trying to make his prey squirm. And oh boy did she feel like squirming under his incessant gaze. "I think you should leave." He shot up off the couch and grabbed her arm.

"See, that would be counterproductive. You could be useful, love. How about you come with me, hmm?" He looked at Jeremy and blew him off with a wave of his hand. "I don't need you; you'll just slow me down."

Jeremy took a hard step forward. "You're not taking her anywhere you sick piece of shit. I won't let you!" He stopped shopped short and shut his mouth when he saw Klaus pull out a handgun.

"Yes, well, sorry to point out that you're not exactly in charge here." He turned to Elena who was looking back and forth between him and her brother with panic across her face.

"Klaus please don't hurt him. I'll come with you, just, please." She felt disgusting having to beg him, but she would do anything to save Jeremy.

He flashed her a wicked grin. "Oh there's no need to beg, love. I don't need him to be dead; I just need you to be alive." Klaus twisted and whacked Jeremy on the head with the end of the gun. Jeremy grunted and hit the floor. "Oh, and if you have any sense of self-preservation you'll be sure not to follow me." He spun Elena around so that she was now in front of him and pushed her out the door. Once they were in the hallway, he concealed the gun between their bodies, making sure to place it firmly against her back. He leaned close and whispered in her ear. "Don't get any ideas, love."

Giving out a soft sigh of resignation, Elena let Klaus lead her away from her brother. She prayed for some way out of this, but knew she was slowly walking to her death. Klaus had the connections she had feared. Elena couldn't help but think that maybe this was for the best. Maybe she needed to die in order for Jeremy to be able to live a proper life. _Yeah, cause every teenager wants to grow up without a family. _It would be one thing if they had all died tragically in a freak accident, but not like this. This was murder. It was murder two years ago and it was murder now. Elena didn't give a shit what the paper said about the accident. There was nothing actually accidental about it. She only hoped that Jeremy would be able to accept things as they were, and not try to get revenge. He would only end up getting himself killed. Just the thought made Elena tremble.

As they walked out into the hotel lobby, they came face to face with Damon. For a fleeting second, Elena allowed herself to have hope that she would be saved from Klaus. Then she remembered the gun pressed against her back, and that hope was gone as quick as it had come.

* * *

After finishing his drink and paying the bartender, Damon rose from his stool to return to his hotel room. He was still reeling from the note this morning. Who the hell had sent it? And how the fuck did they know so much? How could someone know two secrets that were as big as they were? Elena had clearly been hiding her secrets well. She never took risks and she never left anything to chance. And his own secret, well the only people who knew that secret were himself and his father. _What the fuck is going on?_

When he put his leather jacket on to shield himself from the chilly morning air, he heard his phone start ringing. Looking at the caller ID Damon saw it was Elena, panicked and immediately picked up. _Dammit Elena you weren't supposed to wake up yet! _"Elena? What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

He heard her laugh and he smiled, wishing he could be there to hear it in person. _"Jeez, relax Damon. First of all, I'm fine. Besides the fact that I'm starving, which brings me to my second point. Did you already have breakfast, and if not did you want me to pick you something up at the diner a block down the street?"_

"NO! Elena, don't leave the hotel room!" _Shit shit shit shit!_ He was supposed to have been back before she even woke up. She couldn't leave the hotel room; she was in too much danger. Someone knew too much about her and about him. He heard a male voice coming from Elena's line, and it didn't sound like Jeremy but he couldn't make out the voice. "Elena! What's going on? Who's there? Elena!"

She wasn't answering him. No! This was not good! She was in trouble, Damon just knew it. "Do not hang up this phone and do not leave the hotel room. I'm on my way." He ran out of the bar and looked around to try and gather his bearings. He heard a click on his cell phone and saw that she had hung up on him. "Dammit Elena!"

Damon tried his hardest to push through the crowds to get to the hotel as quickly as possible, but it seemed that the city of Portland was just trying to piss him off this morning. The pack of people trying to get to work was too tight for Damon to properly maneuver around them.

Trying not to focus on the danger Elena and Jeremy may possibly be in, Damon instead put all of his attention on finding the best route through the sea of people. _Why did I have to pick a bar six fucking blocks away! _It was close, but it was six blocks too far away from Elena. He never should have left her this morning. Screw the deal with his dad, Elena's safety should have come first!

When he finally saw his hotel, he barreled through the last row of people and pushed through the doors. The lobby was fairly empty, and as he looked towards the elevator he saw her. The first thing he felt was relief; she was still alive. When they locked eyes he saw a flash of hope shine into her eyes before it left just as quickly. Then he saw the man that was pushing her, and pure red anger took over. It was Klaus, the perverted landlord that needed to get his face kicked in. Damon stepped towards the pair ready to pull Elena tight into his arms when he saw Klaus' smirk and Elena frantically shaking her head back and forth. Her eyes glanced down and when he followed her gaze he saw it. The fucking bastard had a gun pressed into her back.

Klaus concealed it enough so no one would notice, but he wanted _Damon_ to see it. Maybe then he would back the fuck off. Elena would be his toy until she was collected, and Klaus was excited for the fun he would finally get to have with her.

It took everything in Elena to not break free from Klaus and run into Damon's arms. She wanted to so badly, but the fact that Klaus was armed prevented her from doing so. She would be putting herself and Damon in danger, and that wasn't an option. She gave him a sad smile and nodded, silently telling him that she would be okay and not to worry about her. Of course that was a lie, and he would know it, but it would help to get the message across that he would have to wait before he tried to save her. Now wasn't the time or the place.

Every muscle in his body was screaming at him to go grab Elena. He would have gladly done so, but the gun pressed to her back was not to be ignored. One wrong move and she could be dead. With a crippling pain in his chest, he watched Klaus push Elena out of the hotel doors and disappear into the crowd. Damon knew he couldn't follow them, though he desperately wanted to.

Damon ran to the elevator to get back to the room where hopefully Jeremy would still be. When the elevator doors opened to his floor, he almost ran right into Elijah and Rebekah. "Whoa, Damon, watch where you're going." Elijah spoke in a concerned voice. "You will still be attending dinner tonight, correct?"

_Fuck!_ "Yeah yeah of course." Damon looked down the hallway and saw Jeremy start to leave the room. Damon started to walk backwards down the hallway and replied to Elijah quickly. "I will be there, I'm sorry I need to go."

Jeremy saw Damon and glared at him. He had to have been the one to blow their cover. He was the only one who knew and he wasn't here this morning when shit hit the fucking fan.

Damon's steps faltered as he saw the murderous look on Jeremy's face. _Surely he doesn't actually think this is my fault?_

Jeremy grabbed Damon by the neck and ran him into the wall. "You fucking prick! How could you?" He was screaming. "We fucking trusted you! Now my sister's gone. She's fucking gone!" Tears flowed down his face. They were more tears of anger than sorrow. Jeremy was determined that this wasn't the last time he would see his sister. He would find her, or he would die trying.

"Jeremy!" Damon managed to choke out few words. "Didn't… tell! Need… to breathe!" Jeremy's hand left his neck, and Damon was quick to rush out an explanation. "I didn't betray you! I woke up this morning and someone left a fucking note! It exposed your identities and a secret of my own. I was pissed, so I went to the bar. This is not my fault. This is Klaus' fault, and if we want to get Elena back we need to do this together and not fight each other!"

Jeremy didn't believe him. "You were the only one who knew. The only one! How the fuck did Klaus figure it out if you didn't tell him, huh?!" Jeremy started pacing in small circles, then turned and punched the door. "Dammit!" He spun and with his back to the door he slid to the floor and broke down. "I can't lose her Damon. I can't lose my sister."

Damon watched the boy and felt a tightening in his chest. For a moment he wondered if Stefan would ever be this broken up if anything were to happen to _him_. Damon may not have known much about Elena and Jeremy, but he knew that if Damon were in Jeremy's position and it was Stefan that was in danger, nothing would be able to stop him from saving his brother.

Damon extended his hand out to Jeremy and waited for him to take it before pulling him up. He grabbed his shoulders and gave him a small shake. "Hey, listen to me. We'll get her back, got it?"

Jeremy looked into Damon's eyes and saw pure determination, so he nodded back mirroring the same thing. They would find Elena and save her from Klaus.

* * *

Helpless. That's how Elena felt as she was pushed forward through the crowd by Klaus. She couldn't fight back; Damon wouldn't be able to save her this time. She was completely and utterly helpless. _Where is he taking me?_ Klaus placed his arm around her waist in a more intimate manner and Elena cringed.

"Come on, love, you might as well get used to this. We're going to be getting much closer soon enough."

She felt his hot breath on the back of her neck and hearing his words made her stomach clench. Everything about this situation made her feel dirty. It was like last night all over again. She was powerless against a man. She had no control over anything and was left completely to his mercy. The fact that now the man was Klaus made everything worse. She had spent her whole time in Portland trying to avoid him, and now it all was a waste.

Klaus continued to lead her through the streets until they came to an old empty area of the city. Elena was familiar with this area; it was where most of the abandoned crack houses were. He led her up the stairs to the porch of a collapsing apartment complex. The door here had a lock box on it and Elena figured this was "his" house.

When they entered the main room of the house it was obvious no one lived here. The walls were stained and there was little in the way of furniture. There was a small ripped couch sitting in the corner with a small coffee table in front of it. The stairs leading upstairs were covered in tattered carpets and the railing was broken off. Glancing towards the kitchen area, Elena saw that it was empty and any of the appliances that were there were covered in rust. No one lived here. "Where are we?"

Klaus smiled at her. "This, my dear, is where you and I will be staying until you are collected."

He spoke to her as if she were an item; something for sale. It disgusted her to her core. She needed to know how he had found out her secret. "How did you know my name wasn't Isobel? I had been so careful. How had you figured me out?"

Klaus laughed at her. "And why should it matter, hmm? After all, it doesn't matter anymore. You've been caught."

"I just need to know. Please, I'll be dead soon anyways. I thought I had done such a good job at being discreet. Please."

"Very well." He shrugged and moved to sit on the couch. "I hired someone. You may remember him, I hear you two got quite cozy last night." He smirked at her, enjoying the fear that crossed her face as she remembered. "He had been following you for a few weeks. See, it seemed odd to me that you were never home when I went to visit, and the only person I had ever given notice of was your brother, who at the time was just a young bartender I had hired in haste. Something seemed fishy, so I had it investigated."

It still didn't make sense. Elena had made sure not to publicly be seen with Jeremy unless it was at the bar and she was handing in her rent. They never spoke otherwise. To anyone, even someone paying attention, they would have seemed like strangers. "No, I was careful." He raised his eyebrows at her, silently telling her to think harder. There was only one way someone could have found out, and it was the same way Damon had found out. "Through my phone. You had my phone bugged, didn't you? That's the only way you could have known. The only time we ever spoke as brother and sister was on the phone."

"Yes. It was quite easy, actually. You don't have your phone on you when you're dancing, and the security there is very lax. You can imagine how intrigued I became when you referred to each other as Elena and Jeremy, instead of Isobel and John as everyone else knew you."

"But why wait? You obviously knew for a while, what makes now special? Why make your move now?"

"Well, as I'm sure you're aware, I have many connections. Siblings hiding their identities are obviously on the run. So, exactly who were you running from? It took me longer than I would have hoped to find out, but once I did I was promised a very large amount of money in exchange for you, alive."

The only solace Elena could find in this situation was that they had decided to spare her brother. At least he would be safe. "How long before they come here?"

Klaus shook off his leather jacket and threw it over the old couch. He held the gun loosely in his hand. "We still have enough time."

Elena's body froze. "Enough time for what?" She didn't think she wanted to know the answer, but had to ask nonetheless.

Klaus stalked towards her and smirked. "Enough time for some fun."

* * *

Back in the hotel room, Damon and Jeremy were both pacing nervously. Damon broke the silence first. "Where would he have taken her? You knew him Jeremy, you worked for him for weeks. Surely there's somewhere that you know of that he may have taken her." Damon felt helpless. Everything in his body was screaming at him to go save Elena. All he cared about at this point was getting her back safe. Not knowing where she was or what Klaus was going to do with her was killing him, and he was sure Jeremy felt the same way.

"I don't know! God dammit!" Jeremy fisted his short hair angrily. This was his fault. If only he had done something else, anything else to help his sister. He should have let Klaus kill him to give Elena the chance to run. He should have done something! But instead he let that monster take his sister. If anything happened to her, he would never be able to forgive himself. _Where were Klaus' hideouts?_ Jeremy could faintly remember a conversation he had overheard between Klaus and someone else on the phone a few weeks ago.

_Jeremy had just kicked his last customer out, getting ready to shut down the bar and lock up. Klaus came in and grabbed the bottle of scotch on the counter. Jeremy knew not to argue with him, even if the guy disgusted him. _

_Klaus' phone rang and after taking a long gulp from the bottle he answered. "Yes, what is it?" _

_Jeremy continued to clean the bar and wipe everything down, pretending to mind his own business. _

"_You idiot!" Klaus pounded his fist on the bar and Jeremy flinched. "Why is it that I always have to do everything myself, otherwise you morons let everything go to shit?" There was a short pause and Klaus let out an exasperated sigh. "Just take him to the Monroe house. I'll be there soon. Do not do anything until I get there."_

Monroe house? Jeremy thought about which house Klaus could have been referring to. He then remembered an article in the paper about a man, Frank Monroe, who was found in an old abandoned house running a whore house. Apparently the guy went crazy when the cops found him and killed all the women in the house, most of them were only teenagers. That had to be the house Klaus was talking about. It was in an abandoned area of town so there would be little to no witnesses for whatever he had planned. The thought made Jeremy wince.

"I think I know where my sister is. We need to leave, now!" Jeremy stormed out of the hotel room followed by Damon. They both only hoped they wouldn't be too late to save her.

* * *

"You've been hiding from me for far too long. I'll get to have you before you're taken from me for good." Klaus watched her with greedy eyes and brought his hand to her chest to lift her shirt. No, not her shirt, Damon's shirt. Well, that would be the first thing to go. She pulled away from him and he chuckled at her, pressing the gun to her stomach. "Ah ah ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you, love." When she let out a small whimper his smile grew.

"Please, don't do this." She hated that this was the second time in less than 24 hours that she had to beg a man not to violate her. Like last time, she knew it was hopeless. There was a sick burning in Klaus' eyes that she knew wouldn't be extinguished. Elena hated feeling so weak. She was used to having so much control over her life. Granted, the past two years she had been running, but she had been running on her terms. She was a stripper, but she never stooped so low as to turn tricks. Everything had been on her terms. Now she was being stripped of all control and she just felt weak.

"Come now, darling. Relax. You'll enjoy it, I promise." He whispered seductively in her ear, but it didn't have his desired effect. Instead, she continued to pull away until he had her pressed up against the wall. _Fantastic_. Klaus roughly pulled the shirt up and over her head, leaving her in an undershirt. He smiled seeing how she had tried to hide her braless state. When she attempted to free herself, he pushed the gun harder into her stomach, effectively freezing her. The fear in her eyes turned him on and made him harden. When he pushed the thin undershirt up and saw her small mounds bare to him, the pressure in his pants got worse. Klaus had wanted her for so long, and now he would finally get to have her. He purred with satisfaction.

Elena had to fight the tears that threatened to spill over. She didn't want him to see her weakness. She wanted to be strong, but she couldn't. As much as it killed her to admit it to herself, she was terrified. Last night, she had known that Damon was on his way. He had known her location and was only a few blocks away. This time, Damon had no idea where she was. He had no idea what was happening to her. This time, it would happen. There was no one coming to her rescue.

Instead of focusing on the pain, Elena tried to shut her mind off. She didn't want to feel what was about to happen to her. She had no distractions though. Last night, the intense pain in her head and on her face had helped to distract her some, but not now. Now, she had nothing to take her mind off of what was occurring. She instead focused all of her attention on the couch behind Klaus. The shape, the color, how old it might be, everything about it. Anything to escape this mental and physical Hell.

Klaus used one hand to pull off the baggy sweatpants she was wearing. Underneath she was wearing a pair of Damon's boxers. He growled and pulled them off of her as well, leaving her entirely bare in front of him. He roughly tugged her legs apart and brought his fingers down her stomach, all the way down to her most intimate parts. He thrust two fingers roughly inside her, preparing her for when he would enter her. Klaus moved his fingers in and out of her for a few moments before looking up at her.

Anger flared through him and his brows furrowed as he noticed her extreme lack of reaction. Her face was completely expressionless, save one tear slowly making its way down her face. He grabbed her by her neck and dragged her naked body over to the couch, throwing her down on it. He kept the gun pointed at her as he began to remove his pants. Once he was free, he leaned over top of her and grabbed her face. She winced in pain as his fingers pressed into her bruised cheek."I'm going to leave this right here," he placed the gun down on the coffee table, "but don't get any ideas." Klaus propped one leg up on the couch and pulled her body towards him. He positioned himself at her entrance and penetrated into her, ignoring her soft whimpers of pain.

Elena tried her hardest not to give him any satisfaction by responding, but it hurt so much. She scolded herself as she let out soft whimpers. This pain was worse than she had thought. Emotionally she was shattering every time he thrust into her. She was breaking; there would be no coming back from this. Every time he moaned in pleasure tore her apart. She could sense that he was getting closer to his release, and she let her tears flow freely as he thrust into her a final time, coming inside her. Saying that she felt violated and disgusting would be an understatement of the highest degree. Shame and self-hatred overtook her. When he pulled out of her, all she could do was lie there and stare blankly at the ceiling.

Klaus looked at the broken woman in front of him and smiled, greatly satisfied that he had been the one to break her. He tugged his pants back on and threw her clothes at her. "Put those back on, dear. No need for you to be indecent for our company." His phone rang and he pulled it out, smirking at the caller ID. He walked into the kitchen, leaving Elena lying naked on the couch. "Hello."

"_Hello Klaus." _A soft seductive voice purred through the phone. _"Do you have the girl?"_

"Yes, she's right here. When will you be arriving?"

"_Oh no, I won't be arriving. I've sent two of my best men to collect her. They've just checked in with me and they're only a few streets down from the address you provided. Be expecting them any minute now."_

"I'll be waiting." He hung up the phone and turned around. His heart stopped as he realized how careless he had been. How foolish! Standing in the doorway of the kitchen was Elena. She was frowning with tears streaming down her face, both arms coming together in front of her and joining together at the gun in her hands. "Elena love, let's not do anything too rash now, hmm?"

Elena let herself take satisfaction in seeing him nervous. Now she was in control. She had his life in her hands, and damn did it feel good. Without thinking too hard about what she was about to do, she pulled the trigger, flinching at the loud crack, and watched as Klaus sank to the floor. She watched as blood pooled around his body and life faded from his eyes. Snapping back to reality, Elena realized she had to get out of there, and quickly.

She spun on her heels, swiped up the sweatpants and t-shirt and slipped the gun inside to hide it from sight. Elena was running on adrenaline now, and everything in her body was telling her to run. She flew out the door and took a moment to adjust to her surroundings. Trying to remember the way they had came, she hastened down the sidewalk doing her best to get as far away from that house as possible.

Once she made it to a more public area of the city, Elena realized she couldn't continue with a gun in her possession. Finding the closest alleyway she turned down it and ran to the dumpster. She opened up one of the trash bags, stuffed the gun inside, and retied it. Appearing back on the street, Elena walked towards the curb and sat down, allowing herself to think back on what she had just done. She was a murderer.

* * *

**A/N: So what did you guys think? Let me know, send me feedback! I can only make my story better if you guys help me out. Don't be afraid to be brutally honest, I can take it I promise! If you've left reviews you know that I respond to you all. If you would like me not to, just let me know but don't let it stop you from reviewing! I need your feedback, it keeps me motivated. Predict something for me! Ask me questions! Don't be shy, I don't bite (;**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys, again sorry it's been a while but to make it up to you guys this chapter is longer than my previous ones. I really really liked this chapter but im even more excited for the next one! Okay, I have nothing else to say so, enjoy!**

* * *

As the two men pulled up to the old abandoned house in their black SUV, they immediately felt that something was wrong. They shared a glance and both pulled their guns out of their holsters. Tony looked to his left. "Maddox, you take the front and I'll go around back." Maddox nodded and they both exited the car and cautiously approached the house, Tony going around back.

Maddox was the first to find the body. He inspected the downstairs then made his way upstairs. "All clear!" He descended the stairs and met Tony back in the kitchen. "There's no one here. Is he dead?"

Tony let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I'm not getting a pulse. Boss is not gonna be happy about this." They shared a look and cringed at the thought of alerting their boss of the news. "I'm not doing it. You found the body first, you get to report it."

Maddox cursed under his breath and brought out his cell phone. "This ain't gonna be pretty." He hit his speed dial and closed his eyes, dreading the moment the dial tone would stop. When it finally did his breath hitched in his throat.

"_Maddox, I'm not supposed to hear from you until you've brought her back to the safe house." _The usually sultry and calm voice was now harsh and impatient. _"What went wrong?" _

He cleared his throat. "Well, we found the right house. Um, the problem is that, well.. Klaus is here, but.."

"_Just spit it out, Maddox. I do not have time for you to be fucking stuttering all over your words."_

"The girl, she isn't here." Maddox pulled the phone away from his ear, anticipating a lot of yelling. Instead, the voice was slow and menacing.

"_Put Klaus on. Now."_

"I can't. He's been shot. He's dead; the girl must have shot him."

"_WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S DEAD?" _Maddox had forgotten to pull the phone away from his ear and winced at the volume. He heard a loud yell from the other end of the phone and was glad he didn't have his ear up to the phone this time. His boss was breathing heavily on the other end and after a few moments finally spoke again. _"Go search for her. I sent the two of you for a reason. You two are my best men, do not let me down. She just fucking shot a man, and you know what she looks like. She shouldn't be too difficult to find. Go."_ And then the line cut off with a click.

Maddox turned to Tony. "Pleasant, as always." He turned and gestured to the body. "What should we do with him?"

Tony sighed and shrugged. "We might as well put him in the trunk. Boss won't be happy with leaving loose ends lying around."

After hoisting Klaus' body into the back of the SUV they both hopped into the front with their faces set in determination. They had to find this girl.

* * *

Damon and Jeremy both sat in the cab in silence, thinking too much to say a word. Jeremy was insanely worried about his sister. He knew the things Klaus was capable of and didn't want to think about what he could be doing to Elena. _I can't lose her, I just can't._ Repeating the words over and over in his head calmed him down. Driven by the love for his sister, Jeremy stared out the window yearning for some sign of his sister. This lead was a stretch and he had no idea if this was even where Klaus would have taken her. He held on to the hope that he would find her in time.

Next to him, Damon's thoughts were all over the place. He was thinking about how a boring work trip into the city for a client's book signing event had turned into a frantic rescue mission to save a girl he had only known a little over a full day. She wasn't just a girl any longer though, Damon knew that much for sure. He would have never risked so much for _just a girl_. She had somehow gotten under his skin and for some reason he didn't want to shake her. He knew it was stupid, he was leaving in a week. Seven days was all he had left, because he didn't have a choice but to be in the office next Monday morning.

Anger filled him as he thought about the moronic deal with his father. Damon sighed through his nose knowing there was nothing he could do; he was stuck. Breaking his father's deal was not an option. He had meant it when he had told his father that he would do _anything_ not to have to go through with it. Damon held nothing but resentment for his father. The man was willing to sacrifice his own son's happiness for a business proposition. What kind of fucked up man does that? _Giuseppe Salvatore, that's who._

And who the hell had someone found out about it? At this point, Damon assumed it was Klaus who had left the note. This creep had some fucking nerve. Threatening himself and Elena was a bad move. The Salvatore name was a very well respected name in New York City and Klaus would have to have a lot of power to pull through with his threat. He may have had enough to take on Elena, but not the Salvatore's. And at this point, Damon was willing to pull any kind of strings to save Elena, even if it meant groveling to his father. One more life-altering deal with him wouldn't make that much of a difference, right?

Damon audibly scoffed and shook his head, getting Jeremy's attention. He gave him a questioning look and Damon just nodded away. Jeremy's eyes narrowed in on the man who had gone from being a stranger and a threat to his most important ally in less than a day. Jeremy had to admit, it felt good, almost powerful, having someone with him just as intent and focused on saving his sister. He may not have been the most observant person, but Jeremy could clearly see the bond Damon had formed with Elena in the short time they had known each other. Elena trusted him, and that wasn't an easy accomplishment. And what struck Jeremy the most is that Elena trusted him almost instantly.

He let out a soft chuckle and when Damon turned to look at him, Jeremy gave him a soft smile. Damon returned the smile and turned back towards the window, seeing a small girl curled up on the curb in the distance ahead. "STOP! Pull over! NOW!" The startled cab driver slowly started to pull over and it wasn't quick enough for Damon. He was quickly out of the moving cab and running ahead.

Jeremy snapped his head to where Damon was heading and his breath caught in his throat. _She's safe. My sister is safe._ The cab had finally pulled over and Jeremy sped out and followed Damon running after his sister. He was so focused on getting to Elena and wasn't paying much attention to anything else that when Damon suddenly stopped a few feet before her, Jeremy ran straight into his back. He snapped his head up glaring at Damon. "Wha-" Jeremy stopped when he saw the broken expression on Damon's face. Following his gaze, he looked at his sister, really looked at her. He gasped softly and felt his heart breaking.

Saying Elena looked like hell would have been putting it kindly. She was barely dressed and her hair was wild. She was scrunched up tightly on the curb with her chin resting on her knees and her arms wrapped around her legs. Jeremy approached her slowly. "Elena?" His voice was soft and hesitant. She snapped her eyes up to him and his heart broke further. Tears were streaming down her bruised face and her eyes were lifeless. All the blood looked as if it had drained from her face and dark patches lined her eyes. She was no longer the strong and protective sister he had been with only hours ago. Jeremy had no idea what had happened to her, but it had obviously been enough to break her completely.

Elena looked into her brother's eyes and felt two things. The first was love; pure and unconditional love that they both shared for each other. They would both go to the ends of the earth and back for one another. They had always had one rule between them: no matter what happens, protect and love each other at all costs. Elena wanted to get up and crush her brother into a hug, but she couldn't.

She couldn't because the second thing she felt was disappointment. She wasn't disappointed in her brother; no she could never be disappointed in Jeremy. She was disappointed in herself. She should be stronger than this. She shouldn't be breaking. Elena thought back to two nights ago, the first night she met Damon. She thought about how she had broken down in his arms that night. Even though she had felt weak in seeking comfort from a stranger, nothing compared to the weakness she felt now. A few days ago, Elena felt like she would be able to defend herself and her brother from any threat, any obstacle they came across. Now she didn't even feel like she could protect him from a fly.

Elena wanted to stand and comfort her brother. She wanted to tell him that she was okay and that everything was going to be alright. But she couldn't lie to him like that. She wasn't okay, and she had no idea if everything was going to be alright. She had just killed a man; a man that had raped her right before he was about to sell her off.

Shouldn't she be proud of herself? Shouldn't she feel good that she had been able to defend herself in the end? Probably, but all she could think about was watching the life fade from Klaus' eyes. That picture would never leave her mind; it was forever etched in her head. That image would never leave her. She would forever be responsible for taking someone's life away from them.

And where did that leave Elena and Jeremy now? The people who were coming to collect her surely would have found Klaus' body by now and they would know that she had escaped. What would she do? Where would they go now? Elena knew she was now marked for death, but had she just signed Jeremy's death sentence as well? She was so wrapped up in her own head that she hadn't noticed Damon move to crouch down next to her.

Damon. When it came to him her thoughts were even more of a jumbled mess. Who was this man that had charmed his way into her life? How had they formed such a strong and tight bond in such a short period of time? Why has he been protective of her from the very beginning? Elena had much too many questions swirling through her head. She didn't know which way was up anymore. All she could do was stare back into Damon's gorgeous oceanic eyes.

"Elena, hey, it's okay. You're okay." Damon whispered to her as he lightly touched her shoulder. He frowned when she flinched at his touch. What had Klaus done to her? Staring into her eyes he saw a whole other person than the woman he had met two nights ago. Even as she had cried herself to sleep in his arms, she hadn't seemed _this_ broken. Who could do something so monstrous to such an innocent and beautiful girl?

A small voice in the back of his head scolded himself. He didn't know she was innocent. Damon didn't really know a damn thing about her past. He knew her and Jeremy's last name and ages; it had been revealed in the note. But their past? Not a clue. A big part of him refused to listen to the doubting voice. Surely this girl couldn't have done anything to deserve such pain and misery. She had been through so much; too much for a girl her age to go through.

From his crouched position, Damon twisted his head to look at Jeremy who was standing behind him. He tipped his head in Elena's direction, silently telling him to try and talk to her. If anyone could break through to her, it had to be her brother.

Jeremy cautiously knelt down in front of Elena. "'Lena?" He waited a moment until she brought her eyes to meet his. He went to place his hand over hers in a comforting manner but stopped himself when he saw her tense. "Shh, 'Lena it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." Jeremy had tried to be strong for his sister, but his trembling voice gave him away.

It killed Elena that she couldn't let her brother comfort her. She wanted to; her head was screaming at her to just let him comfort her, but her body betrayed her by flinching away. The only thing she could seem to do was nod at him to let him know that she understood that he wasn't going to hurt her. Of course he wouldn't.

"Elena." She slowly turned her head to look at Damon. "Are you hurt?"

She closed her eyes as another tear fell down her cheek. _I'm not hurt, I'm fucking broken. I feel like I've been shattered into a million pieces and scattered across the earth with no hope of being put back together. I'm trapped in my own misery and terrified of drowning in it. I feel like my whole being has been violated in ways no one should ever be. I wouldn't wish this anguish on my worst enemy._ But she knows that's not what he means. He wants to know if she's physically hurt. In all honesty her body feels numb. She shakes her head no.

He lets out a sigh of relief. "What happened? Where is Klaus?"

They're both perfectly innocent questions, but knowing she has to answer them makes her chest tighten. Elena tries to speak but her voice is stuck in her throat. What can she say? There's only one thing they need to know. But what will they think of her afterwards? "I-" Her voice is shaky and raspy. _It's just three words, that's all. You can do it._ Dropping her gaze down to the concrete she chokes out, "I killed him," before sobbing into her knees.

Some people say that if you're upset you should talk about it because it will make you feel better. If you come to terms with the problem, you can help come up with a solution. Admitting out loud that she had killed Klaus didn't make Elena feel any better. Guilt crashed down on her like relentless waves, trying to punish and torment her. She had no right to take his life away from him. What made her think that she now had a right to be at peace?

Jeremy and Damon shared a worry and panic-filled look. Neither had known what they would find but they certainly hadn't expected to hear those words out of Elena's mouth. Jeremy just stared at her with a pain-stricken face. He didn't know what to do or say. Obviously Elena was taking it very hard but Jeremy had no way to know how to comfort her.

Some sort of instinct kicked into Damon. He knew that they had to leave the area and they had to do it now. Trying not to startle Elena, he tried soothing her first. "Elena, look at me. It's Damon. I'm not going to hurt you, okay? But I need to get us out of here." He turned to Jeremy and had him hail down a cab for them then turned his attention back to the broken girl on the sidewalk. "I'm gonna pick you up, okay? Just remember that it's only me and I swear to you Elena I will not hurt you."

She met his eyes and saw the absolute truth in them and his voice rang with such sincerity that she forced herself to accept his help. As she felt his arms lift her, she just kept repeating the same thing over and over in her head. _He's not going to hurt me. It's Damon. He would never hurt me. He's not going to hurt me._

When they had all shimmied into the cab Damon hastily gave the driver the address to the hotel. The cab driver looked into his rearview mirror and saw the terrified girl cuddled up to Damon. She almost looked sick.

"Are you sure I don't need to take you to a hospital? She looks pretty bad.."

Damon felt Elena flinch in his arms and growled out, "No," in a voice so firm and final that there was no more discussion. The rest of the ride remained in silence. Jeremy knew not to try to get any information out of his sister here. Damon thought back to two nights ago and how she had seemed to like it when he would gently run his hands through her hair and up and down her back. He wasn't sure he was even helping until she squeezed herself closer to him.

She didn't know how he was managing to do it, but Elena was awestruck at how much her body responded to Damon's comforting. He was warm and his hands were soothingly ghosting over her back and through her hair. A small part of her thought she was acting like a child, but she pushed it away. She needed this right now. Elena closed her eyes and tried not to think about anything other than how nice Damon's hands felt.

Damon glanced down at the broken angel on his lap. She was so breathtakingly beautiful. He realized he didn't care what kind of a past this girl had. He knew that after this he would do anything to help save this girl and her brother. She was bringing up feelings in him that he hadn't felt in a very long time. He truly had grown to care about her.

When they arrived at the hotel, Jeremy paid the driver and helped Damon get out of the car while still holding Elena. A strong feeling of déjà vu went through Damon as he passed through the hotel lobby to the elevator, again getting odd looks from the people around him. This was the second time he would carry a broken Elena up to his hotel room in such short hours. He almost felt sick at the thought. No one, especially not Elena, should have to go through this.

After entering the hotel room Damon gently placed Elena on the bed. Jeremy crawled up next to her and held her close. Damon went to the door and locked it, feeling secure for the moment that Elena was now safe.

* * *

Tony and Maddox drove in a frenzy through the streets of Portland. They pushed the speed limit and rounded corners, forgetting for the moment about keeping a low profile. The girl was absolutely nowhere to be found.

Tony growled. "She's a small girl. She couldn't have gotten this far into the city. We should have found her by now." His patience was wearing thin and he was dreading failing his boss.

"I don't understand either. We've gone up and down all these streets. There's no way she could have gotten away unless someone found her and helped her. Boss is not going to be pleased." Maddox was frustrated. He knew how important this girl was to his boss. He needed to find her and bring her back alive. He glanced over at Tony. "I did it last time, it's your turn to call and break the news."

If the situation weren't so serious, Tony may have found it funny. Two grown, burly men, terrified of making a phone call. He sighed and pulled his phone out, dialing the number he knew so well slowly trying to drag it out. When the dial tone ended, he held his breath.

"_Hmmm, I see you got the pleasure of calling me this time. Well? Did you find the girl?" _The tone was bored, probably assuming that they had succeeded. They were, after all, the best at what they did.

Tony flinched before answering. "We've been driving up and down these streets for a half hour. There's no sign of her, she must have had help from someone."

His boss let out a very uncommon growl. _"Then this leaves us right back to square fucking one."_

Trying to be helpful, Tony remembered that Klaus had an informant. "Boss, what about Klaus' informant? He has to know something, right? I mean, that's what Klaus hired him for."

"_There isn't anything about her that I don't already know. I know everything there is to know about her and Jeremy. The only thing I don't know is where they've been hiding. If she's smart, she won't go back to the same spot. She'll have already left which means you're already behind." _He could hear the clenched teeth through the voice. Not exactly patient either.

"I'm sorry boss. Uh, what do you want us to do with the body?"

"_I don't care, Tony. Throw it in the river. Throw it in a dumpster. I don't give a fucking damn. Just be sure not to leave any traces. I shouldn't have to tell you that by now."_

"Of course. Maddox and I will keep driving around to see if we can find anything. We'll stick in the area, book a hotel room, stay the night and head back to you tomorrow. Hopefully we can find something out while we're here."

This time, the voice purred. _"Fine, I'll see you tomorrow. Send Maddox my best." _And with a click the line ended.

* * *

Damon had given Elena a change of clothes and let her take a shower. She wasn't saying much but she had assured both him and her brother that she was perfectly capable to shower on her own. Now, standing under the hot spray of the water she was just trying to wash the day away. The hot water and steam helped to calm and soothe her. She was dreading the moment when she would have to tell Damon and Jeremy what happened.

Elena wondered whether or not she should tell them what Klaus had actually done to her. Just saying that he had beaten her would be convincing enough, right? She didn't want to put Jeremy through any more pain. He had already suffered enough because of her. She pushed the thoughts from her head as she washed herself down, trying to drag out the shower as long as possible.

Damon was sitting on the small couch in his room with his elbows on his knees just staring at the ground. His cell phone broke him out of his gaze when it sounded on his bed. He wanted to ignore it but he knew that wasn't an option. He looked at the caller ID and groaned as he saw who it was. Then he realized that he hadn't heard from Alaric in days. "Miss me?"

Alaric's tone started worried, but eventually worked its way to annoyed. _"Damon, are you okay? I haven't heard from you at all and Elijah said he's seen very little of you. But Stefan told me you were staying the week. Damon please tell me you're not drinking yourself into a stupor. I don't want to have to fly all the way up there to pull your drunken ass-"_

Damon chuckled and cut him off. Oh, Ric. "Relax dude. I'm fine. I've been…" He tried to find the right words, but what could he say? Surely Ric wouldn't believe him if he told him what he had actually been up to. Then he remembered Elijah and his stupid dinner party tonight. _Fuck me._ "I've been around the city. I'm supposed to be on a vacation you know."

Ric sighed. _"Damon, I know you. You don't browse around the city like a fucking tourist. You hate tourists. You actually make a point to mock them any chance you get."_

"Oh come on! You have to admit they're obnoxious with their stupid cameras and their stupid t-shirts. Besides, I don't tour like that. I'm used to a city, I know how they work. I'm merely…comparing?" His attempt to blow him off was weak and he knew it, but he had to say something to get him off of his back.

Alaric huffed in annoyance and then sounded as if he were bored. _"Well when are you coming back? I know Stefan told me your dad gave you till Monday, but I don't think you should take that much time off, Damon. I know you overwork yourself but I also know how much you care about this company and how hard you work. This just… doesn't seem like you."_

Damon hadn't really been paying attention to anything Ric had said. He was instead thinking about his original question; when would he be going back? True, his father had given him till Monday, but Elena and Jeremy needed to get out of this city and they needed to do it now. Damon wasn't willing to leave them, but he knew they couldn't stay in Portland. He spun around to lock eyes with Jeremy on the bed. Jeremy just gave him a questioning look. "Actually Ric…" Damon trailed off. "I'll call you back." He hung up before Alaric could protest.

Jeremy narrowed his eyes at Damon. "What was that about?"

Damon slowly approached the bed and put his hands up. "Now, this is just an idea, so hear me out." When Jeremy nodded granting his approval Damon continued. "It's obvious you two can't stay here. I know that she hasn't told us what exactly happened today but she has told us that she killed Klaus. It's no longer safe for you here anymore. I want to help."

Jeremy looked apprehensively at Damon. His first instinct would be to tell him off, but surprisingly he found that he trusted him. "What are you suggesting?" At this point Jeremy would do anything to keep his sister safe, and he knew that Damon could do that for him.

"This morning, I needed to stay here to protect you and Elena. After that note, I knew you were in more danger than you realized. I called my dad and got him to give me the rest of the week off. However, things have changed now." Damon huffed and ran his hand through his hair. "Now, obviously Elena will have to agree on this but if I have your support it's a step in the right direction." He looked nervously at Jeremy before continuing.

"Alright, what is it? I'll do anything to save my sister."

"Come with me back to New York. We can be on the first flight out tomorrow morning and I can keep you two safe. Much more safe than you would be if you were to run anywhere else. You can't keep running. One day they will catch up with you. I can protect you, Jeremy. I can protect her." Damon added the last part with conviction and tried to read Jeremy's face, but it gave nothing away.

Jeremy stayed quiet for a few moments considering the offer. They had already run to New York, but this time it would be different; this time they had Damon. Jeremy believed him when he said that he would protect them. In Jeremy's eyes, he had definitely proved himself. He wondered if Elena would feel the same way, but Jeremy knew his answer. "I want to go with you Damon." He saw the smile stretch across Damon's face and couldn't help but return it. "However," he added seriously, "we still have to get Elena on board with it. I won't go anywhere without her."

Damon looked at him solemnly. "Of course, I won't either." Jeremy gave a look of surprise but Damon tilted his head and gave him a knowing look. "You two have rubbed off on me, that's for sure. And believe me when I say it doesn't happen often." At the sound of the bathroom door clicking, both Jeremy and Damon snapped their heads up to see Elena step out of the bathroom in Damon's shirt and another pair of his boxers. Damon tried to push away the warm feeling he got seeing her in his clothes like that. He cleared his throat and smiled at her. "How are you feeling?"

Elena sighed. She had washed and scrubbed every inch of her body, but it didn't take away the pain. Not the physical pain, that was mostly gone. The hot water had soothed her muscles and now her body felt relaxed. She didn't _feel_ any better though. She felt like shit. Elena walked over to her two protectors and sat down on the bed. "Exhausted."

Damon gave her a warm smile and put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. He was glad when she didn't flinch away. At least she wasn't as bad as when they had found her on the sidewalk. Her eyes were still dull, though. Her face was void of any emotion. Damon let out a sigh before bringing up the elephant in the room. "Elena, will you tell us what happened today?"

She took a deep breath. This was the part she was hoping to avoid. "Yes, I'll tell you." She had decided not to leave anything out. She would be strong throughout the whole thing and she would help her brother be strong as well. Damon grabbed her hand and held it softly for support while she told them everything that happened, starting from the second her and Klaus left the hotel from the moment they found her on the sidewalk. She didn't tell them how she had felt during any of it; she didn't want to burden them with that pain. If she showed them she was strong they would believe it. Both Damon and Jeremy let out curses in some of the worse parts of the story but never interrupted her. When she was finished, she let out a small sigh and tried her best to give them a reassuring smile, but it fell flat and never reached her eyes.

Jeremy swiftly moved from his end of the bed to hers and enveloped her in a tight hug. She flinched at first, but then remembered it was only Jeremy and then wrapped her arms around him securely. He was whispering soothing words into her ear and rocked her slowly, promising to never let her be hurt ever again.

Hugging his sister, Jeremy couldn't imagine his life without her. He had felt his heart breaking as he listened to her describe what happened to her today. As she spoke, she was detached, like she wasn't talking about herself but someone else. Jeremy knew it had taken a bigger toll on her than she was letting on. She was trying to be strong for him, but she didn't need to be. He needed to be strong for her this time, and he would. He pulled back softly and looked into her eyes. "I love you 'Lena. I'm so glad you're safe."

She gave him a small smile back and nodded fervently. "I love you too, Jer. Always." No matter what hell they had to go through, they always went through it together. They were each other's rocks and they didn't plan on ever losing each other.

Jeremy gave her a hesitant look and smiled sheepishly. "'Lena, Damon and I want to talk to you about something…" He was nervous as to how his sister would react. Did she trust Damon enough to go with him? Did she notice how much he had obviously grown to care for her?

Elena brought her eyes to Damon suspiciously and tried to gauge his reaction but came up blank. He had a perfected poker face and wasn't giving anything away. Her eyes narrowed at him and when he saw it his features softened. "What is it?" Her voice came out quietly.

Damon put his hands up much like how he had broached the topic with Jeremy and started just about the same. "I want you to hear me out, okay? I have an…idea, or an offer, whichever you prefer." He hesitated and when he saw her face relax slightly he continued. "I want you and Jeremy to come back to New York City with me." He rushed it out quickly, and cut her off before she could protest. "Think about it, Elena! You can't stay here, that much is obvious. Sure, you can keep running, but for how long? You can't run for the rest of your life, Elena. Sooner or later they're going to catch up with you. Now I know I don't know anything about you or Jeremy or your past, but… I'm in too deep now. I can't leave you two behind not knowing you'll be safe. Please." He finished in a desperate whisper.

Damon tried to read her emotions on her face, but they were completely blank. A small part inside of him started to panic, and he pushed back the feeling of rejection. _Please think about it Elena. Please_. His phone started to ring again and he growled. "Yes?" His tone was a bit too harsh.

"_Damon? You're still coming, correct? Dinner is in a half hour, and I expect you to show up." _Elijah's voice was frustrated and impatient.

"Elijah, I am so sorry. Yes, of course I'll be there on time." _Shit. _

"_I hope so Damon. We will talk more later. See you soon." _He hung up before Damon had a chance to reply. Some serious groveling was in order tonight at dinner.

Damon looked back at Elena and she seemed to be stuck in her own head. Hopefully she was considering his offer. "Elena?" She snapped her head up to him. "I need to go to this dinner, I'm sorry but I can't cancel on it. It won't take long and I should be back in about three hours." He looked over at Jeremy. "Are you guys going to be okay up here?"

Jeremy nodded. "Its fine Damon, go. You're here on business and we're getting in the way. We'll be fine."

Damon chuckled. "You're not getting in the way, I promise. Now," he spoke in his most authoritative voice, "please, neither of you leave this room or open the door for anyone other than myself." He sighed, realizing they were both probably hungry. "I'm sure you're both hungry. I'd feel more comfortable if you ordered room service now so it can arrive while I'm here, unless you'd like me to bring you both back something from dinner?" He hated sounding like an overprotective father, but he couldn't risk another incident like today.

Jeremy humorously scoffed. "Damon, there's a little peek hole in the door for a reason. You don't have to stay for the room service; I really think I can handle it." Seeing the worry in Damon's eyes he tried to work with him a little. "I'll keep the door locked at all times and check to make sure it really is room service." Damon was hesitant, and Jeremy sighed sadly. "We can't live in fear forever Damon. You've been a lot of help lately but we need to be able to take care of some things on our own, you know?"

Damon sighed and relented with a slow nod. "Alright, I'm gonna get ready. Elena?" When she met his gaze he gave her a soft smile. "You don't have to answer me right now. Take the time that I'm gone to think about it, okay? You and Jeremy can talk it out." She nodded at him and he exited to the bathroom, silently praying that she'd accept.

* * *

"Elena, I really think that we should go with Damon to New York…" Jeremy had waited until after their dinner arrived to bring up the subject. Damon had been gone for almost an hour and Elena had barely said a word. Thankfully she had eaten at least half of her dinner.

Elena didn't know what to do. Her thoughts about Damon were enough of a jumbled mess as it was. She knew she felt safe with him and that he would never hurt her. She trusted him a lot, enough to put her life in his hands, but following him to New York? She couldn't impose on him like that. He had a job, a life, probably a family. Who was she to come in and take all that away from him? He had come here on a business trip and accidently stumbled into their lives. They had roped him in and she felt guilty. Was he doing this because he felt bad for them? She chided herself for thinking that way; she knew he had grown to care about them both.

Jeremy clearly wanted to go, but he was trying to hide it. _He probably just wants me to make my own decision without thinking about his opinion._ She sighed. "Why?" Of course she wanted to know his opinion, he was her brother and if he was going to run with her then they would do it together, working together.

Hope sparked inside Jeremy. He tried to hide the elation in his voice as he spoke, not wanting his excitement to sway her decision only to end up with regret later. "I trust him Elena. I know you do, too. You trusted him the very first night. I know he'll protect us, and he's right. We can't keep running forever. We're so young, too young to live like this forever. I told you I would do whatever you decided, and I will go with you wherever you decide to go. I just know that going with Damon is going to be the right choice. He's been there for us, more than anyone has since mom and dad." She flinched at the mention of their parents. It hurt him to think about them, too, but what he spoke was the truth.

"It's true, Elena, and you know it. We've been running ever since the crash. We've been good at it, but we don't know what we're doing! I hate living like this and I know you feel the same way. I've kept quiet because I didn't want to make you feel bad but I won't keep quiet anymore." He ran his fingers through his hair. "We finally have a way out. Damon is giving that to us, and he's not going to hurt us." Jeremy had nothing else to say and only hoped it was enough to get his sister on his side for this.

She sighed and nodded. She knew, deep down that this was the right decision all along. She couldn't just think about herself, she had to worry about Jeremy. If Jeremy, who was fiercely protective of her, trusted Damon with their lives then Elena did, too. "Okay, we'll go with him." A huge grin spread across his face and she couldn't help but give him a soft smile in return. "But I want to talk to him about it more when he gets back. This isn't the type of thing where we can just get up and leave. When he comes in tonight, we can talk to him and work everything out, but I think we should go with him."

Jeremy brought her in for a tight hug and lay back on the bed, bringing her with him. He held her tightly and protectively against him. For the first time in two years he fell asleep knowing his sister was absolutely safe and that they were finally done running.

* * *

Damon scowled as he entered the elevator, in a foul mood from Elijah's stupid dinner. He had spent the first half of the night apologizing vehemently to Elijah for his absence and the second half of the night avoiding Rebekah's greedy eyes. For the whole night he had slapped a mask on his face pretending to be interested in everything going on around him. In truth, the only thing that had actually been on his mind was Elena's decision.

The elevator opened to his floor and he rushed to the door. Even if Elena had decided against it, he had to convince her somehow. He couldn't take no for an answer. When he entered the room directly to his left he saw a tray of mostly eaten food. It comforted him to know that even with all the stress they were both still eating. He glanced over to the bed and smiled wistfully at the brother who had his sister locked in a protective embrace. They were both asleep and they both surprisingly looked peaceful. Hopefully that meant Jeremy had convinced her to go with him…

Damon walked over to the bed and gazed at the beautiful girl in front of him. He would do anything to see her give a genuinely happy and carefree smile. He lightly stroked the face of his fingertips lightly across her unmarked cheek. He quickly pulled his hand back when he saw her stir and gave her a guilty smile when she opened her eyes to see him hovering over her. "Sorry, I uh… I didn't mean to wake you." He gave her a tiny smirk.

She smiled softly at him. "No its okay, I wanted to talk to you anyways." She tried to remove herself from her brother's grasp but it was very difficult. He seemed to have her in a death grip. She chuckled; amused that even in his sleep Jeremy was being overly protective. "Sorry, I um, I don't think I'm getting out of here."

Damon laughed quietly. "Nah, it's okay. You should stay there, I think it helps him sleep better." He nodded his head towards Jeremy's peaceful expression on his face and smiled watching Elena try to spin and see it herself. With a giggle, she gave up and just relaxed back into her previous position.

Hearing the sound of her giggle made Damon's stomach tighten. It was such a great sound and he wished he could hear it from her more often. He admired her strength. Even after a day like today she managed to giggle at the end of it. Not wanting to ruin her mood, but knowing he needed to bring it up, Damon quietly cleared his throat. "So, have you thought about my offer? I'm officially finished with my business trip, we can be out of here on the first flight tomorrow morning."

Elena's breath caught in surprise. "That soon? Damon, you haven't had any time to prepare for us. Where will we even stay? I have to find an apartment and a job and-"

He cut her off before she could finish. "Elena, I'm only going to say this once and I'm going to make it very clear so pay attention. If you and Jeremy are coming with me to New York then you're going to be staying with me. Drop your pride for once and think about yours and Jeremy's safety. This is me helping the both of you. I've gotten surprisingly attached to the both of you and if you're coming then you're coming as a guest. You don't owe me anything. The fact that I'll get to see you and Jeremy both safe everyday is all I need."

Her chest tightened and her heart sped up. Damon was really willing to do that for her and Jeremy? He really cared about them that much? She felt a tear fall down her cheek as she realized how sincere he was being. His thumb came down to gently wipe it away and she closed her eyes at his touch. Elena smiled softly then opened her eyes to meet his brilliant beautiful blue ones. "Thank you." She didn't know what else she could say to show him her gratitude. No one had ever made such a grand gesture for her before without asking anything in return.

Damon leaned down and softly kissed her on the forehead. "Don't mention it." He backed away to make another makeshift bed on the couch. He picked up any clothes lying around and cleaned up the bathroom before heading back to the couch. When he glanced over to the bed he noticed Elena was still looking at him. "Goodnight Elena." He smiled and turned off the lamp leaving them in a peaceful darkness.

"Goodnight Damon."

* * *

**A/N: So what do we think? Feedback? Leave me reviews, I appreciate hearing from you guys greatly (: Do you guys like the fact that Damon is swooping in and taking her away? Was it too soon? As much as I loved this chapter I'm still nervous for your reactions, so please let me know! Next chapter, it's back to New York where we will see Caroline and Stefan again. I love them (: DONT FORGET TO REVIEW PLEASE! it helps keep me motivated to keep this story going! haha, thank you guys!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So, first of all I need to apologize for such a long wait. I know it's been forever and I'm so sorry! There are no good reasons or excuses, so I'm just gonna skip them and move on! **

**This chapter is a little different from how I planned it, but I think it came out good (: Alright, here we go!**

* * *

Damon awoke to the sound of his phone vibrating against his chest. He had set an alarm to wake him up early, but he made sure to put it on vibrate so as to not wake up Elena or Jeremy. Groaning softly, Damon rolled over off the couch and headed to the bathroom to get ready. Once he was clean, dressed, and shaved he pulled out his phone, ready to make a string of phone calls. The first call was to the airline where he secured them a ten thirty flight in first class. Next he called up his driver, Matt, and asked him to meet him at the airport to pick him up. When he went to call the third person he smirked first and then dialed his brother. _This should be fun._

The line dragged on for a while and Damon worried it would go to voicemail. Just as he was about to hang up, muffled groans were heard on the other line. _"Damon?"_ His voice was groggy, as if he had just woken up.

"Stefan, what the hell are you doing sleeping? It's seven o'clock on a Tuesday, you should be up already." Damon couldn't help but feel irked. If he had slept in that late on a workday his father would have his head.

"_Caroline had the day off work so I was going to spend it with her. What do you need?" _Damon growled softly. Of course his brother had the day off. He _always_ got days off.

"I'm coming home today. Just thought I'd give you a heads up so you can run along and inform daddy dearest, my vacation is over."

Stefan sighed. _"Damon, I thought we decided that you needed this? Why are you coming home so early, what happened?" _

Damon couldn't help but smirk. _Oh, if only you knew brother…._ "Maybe you'll find out soon enough. Um…" he hesitated, unsure of whether or not to tell him about Elena and Jeremy coming with him. "Let's just say I'm not coming home empty handed, hmm?"

Stefan's voice was cautious. _"What is that supposed to mean, Damon? Should I be worried?"_

"Well it doesn't really matter if you should be worried or not, we both know you will anyways. Always brooding, Stefan. Take it easy brother. I'll see you in a few hours." And with that he disconnected the call. Damon punched in another number and expected it to be answered immediately. However, that was not the case and this call was answered with another muffled voice. _"What do you want?"_

Damon growled. "What, is everybody taking the fucking day off?"

Ric gave him a dry chuckle. _"Sorry man. Jenna wanted me for herself today so I called in sick. Did you need anything at the office?"_

"I'm coming home today, just thought I'd let you know." He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "I also kind of wanted someone to let my father know so I wouldn't have to call him myself."

"_I'm sorry man." _Alaric's voice was sympathetic. _"Why are you coming home early anyways? I thought last night you said you had to stay?"_

"Oh you know, the usual. Something came up, have to pack up right away. I'll be home in a few hours and uh, there are some people I need you to meet…" He wasn't as hesitant in letting Ric know about the brother and sister he was rescuing. He wouldn't be as judgmental as his brother.

"_Oh? Alright, well call me when you land then I guess. Want me to pick you up or do you have a ride arranged?"_

"I got it covered, Ric, thanks. I'll see you in a few." Damon snapped his phone shut. He'd save the phone call to his father until he was just about to board the plane. He walked over to the bed where Jeremy and Elena were still fast asleep. Jeremy still had his sister in a tight lock in his arms and Damon smiled at the sight. He crouched down and gently brushed Elena's hair out of her face. She was so beautiful…

"Elena?" His voice was soft. Damon gave her a small shake, trying not to surprise her. Her eyelids fluttered open and she gave him a quick look of confusion before letting a breathtaking smile go across her face. "Good morning, Elena. Time to wake up; we have a flight in a few hours." Confusion swept over her features a second time before she remembered their conversation from last night, then her face turned nervous.

Damon saw her anxiety and took her hand to comfort her. "Hey, listen to me. It's going to be okay now. You and Jeremy are going to be safe, alright?"

Elena looked into his eyes and nodded softly. She was extremely nervous. Not only had she never been on an airplane before, but she was now putting all of her faith and her and Jeremy's lives in someone else's hands. _Damon's hands. He's not going to let anything happen to you._ Those thoughts comforted her and she tried to squirm her ways out of Jeremy's grasp but was failing miserably. "A little help?" She looked up sheepishly at Damon.

Damon gave a soft chuckle and a slight shove to Jeremy, trying to wake him up. "Jeremy, wake up man, come on." Jeremy groaned and only gripped his sister tighter to him.

"Jeremy!" Elena yelled at him. "Come on, wake up!" She laughed in his ear. "I need to move."

Jeremy started to tickle his sister in her sides and she erupted into a fit of giggles. She curled her knees up to her chest and tried desperately to break free of Jeremy's tickle attack. Jeremy and Damon looked at each other and smiled, both glad to see Elena laugh so freely. Elena elbowed Jeremy in the ribs causing him to yell out and release his grip. Elena rolled off the bed and landed on the floor with a thud. Damon panicked and started to help her but stopped himself when he saw her giggling more. It was such a beautiful sound and he wanted to hear it all the time.

Damon looked at his watch and saw that it was seven thirty. He laughed before extending his hand out to Elena to help her up. "Alright, our flight leaves at ten thirty so we need to be at the airport in about an hour and a half because airport security is a bitch." He began to chuckle before he saw Elena and Jeremy's looks of panic. _Yup, I should have known airport security would freak them out. _"Hey, it's okay. I already bought the tickets so the only person that needs an ID here is me, okay? As long as neither of you bring any weapons with you, we'll be fine." He gave them a reassuring smile.

Jeremy relaxed, but Elena was still nervous. There was so much about this that made her nervous, but she knew she trusted Damon. He wouldn't take them anywhere that would put them in jeopardy. She let out a soft sigh and nodded, smiling slightly. "Okay."

"Now," Damon looked between the two of them. "what is it that you two need to get? I know you live in separate places so we need to leave now if we're going to go around the city collecting your stuff."

Elena looked down and away from Damon. "The only things at my place are just my lingerie from the club. I…I don't want to go back to that house. My bag is here, it's all I need." She hesitantly brought her head up to meet Damon's understanding eyes. She gave him a half smile.

Jeremy shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really have anything back at my place either. My money is in my wallet which is in my pocket. The only things I don't have here are clothes but I can buy those when we get to New York." Jeremy looked at Damon with a frown on his face. "This isn't the first time we've had to suddenly pick up and leave, Damon. This is just the first time that we're running with someone else…"

Damon frowned as he thought about the life these two must have had for the past few years. It must have really sucked not having a place to call home and always being on the move. Thinking about it, he couldn't help but feel guilty. He had always taken his life for granted. More importantly, he had always complained about how miserable he was. Seeing what these two kids, because they truly were still kids, had been through he felt ashamed at how he looked at his own life. Sure, he had an asshole as a father, but his brother and mother cared about him, surprisingly so did Caroline, and he also had Ric. Elena and Jeremy honestly had no one.

Damon was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Elena clearing her throat. When he looked up at her the first thing he noticed was the guilty expression on her face. Damon couldn't help but wonder what could be wrong; he thought he had addressed anything of importance already. "Elena? Is everything alright?"

Elena brought her gaze up to meet Damon's eyes. "Okay, just, please hear me out first?" She looked between the confused expressions of Damon and Jeremy. When they both exchanged a look and then nodded she smiled. "I want to stop by the club before we leave." Before they could protest she quickly shushed them. "Let me finish. I know I don't need to quit and that we need to leave as soon as possible, but I want to say goodbye to Bonnie." Jeremy gave her a disbelieving look. "I know it seems silly, but she cares about me. She doesn't even really know me but she's always cared about me. Please let me do this, I just need to tell her goodbye so she doesn't worry."

Jeremy let out an exasperated huff. He then looked to Damon to get his opinion on the matter. When Damon simply replied with a shrug, Jeremy had no other objections. "Okay, you can go say goodbye to Bonnie. But that's it Elena, we're leaving right after that. Got it? We can't stay in this city any longer. We don't know if those creeps have left yet."

Elena nodded her head vehemently, then immediately regretted it when it left her with a headache. "I promise, we'll be in and out."

* * *

"Stop here," Elena told the cab driver as they pulled up a few blocks down from the club. Damon and Jeremy gave her questioning looks. "I don't want Bonnie to see me get in a cab with the two of you. I'm just being cautious. I'm going to walk into the club, ask to speak to Bonnie, and then come back out front. You two will still be able to see me from here." They both nodded at her and she slowly climbed out of the cab.

As she walked into the club, the music made her head pound. Elena walked up to the bar where she saw Bonnie sitting alone. The place was dead as they hadn't really been open too long yet. "Hey, Bon, can I talk to you outside?"

Bonnie gave her a wary look but immediately complied. When they got outside, Bonnie looked at Isobel with worry in her eyes. "Hey Iz, everything okay?" Bonnie had grown to care about her friend, even if they didn't know too much about each other. She could tell that Izzy was a shy girl, someone who always kept to herself, and she always found herself drawn to protect her.

Elena smiled sheepishly at her. "Yeah, everything's okay. I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving." Bonnie had worry written all across her face and Elena tried to give her a reassuring smile. "It's time for me to move on, you know? I just wanted to let you know since you were the only friend I really made here."

Bonnie was confused. Izzy had only been here a few weeks and she was already leaving? Something was off, but she knew not to push. She was flattered that Iz had considered her a friend and that she wanted to inform her of her departure. "Of course, Iz. Don't worry about it, hun. Thank you for letting me know, though. I'm flattered." She giggled and smiled when her friend joined her.

Elena was surprised to find that she would actually miss Bonnie. It had been weird to make a friend like her, but she couldn't find it in herself to regret it. The only thing she felt bad about was that Bonnie cared about her and actually didn't really know her at all. Elena pulled her in for a hug and squeezed her tight. "It was nice to know you, Bonnie. I'll miss you."

When they pulled back, Bonnie smiled at her and laughed. "Well, if you're ever in Portland again, don't be shy. You'll know where to find me."

After smiling at her in return, Elena spun around to head back to the cab. As she walked away her smile fell flat and her expression turned somber. She was silent as she got back in the cab and only nodded at Jeremy and Damon to tell them she was ready to leave. As they rode to the airport, Elena kept thinking back to what Bonnie said. She hoped that she would never again return to Portland. She hoped she wouldn't have to run ever again. Elena wasn't naïve though; she knew what her fate was. She couldn't keep running forever, and one day she would be found and there would be no one there to save her.

Elena felt that somehow, going to New York with Damon wouldn't change the outcome of her life. Whether she liked it or not, she would end up caught, and probably dead as well. What good could really come out of this trip to New York? Maybe this would be Jeremy's chance to have a normal life. After talking to Klaus, it was clear that whoever was chasing them was only really after _her_. She was putting Jeremy in danger by dragging him along with her. It was selfish really. Maybe in New York she could help him plant roots and stay. He wouldn't want her to leave on her own, but maybe she could eventually convince him that it was better that way. Maybe, if he found enough people that he cared about in New York.

Elena sighed and let her head rest against the window. Jeremy and Damon remained silent next to her and when she felt Jeremy's hand take her own she gave it a reassuring squeeze. No need to worry either of them. When they pulled up to the airport, Elena's breath got caught in her throat. This was it. They were going to New York with Damon and there was no backing out now. As she stepped out of the cab, she held her chin high and decided that she was going to make the best of this trip no matter what. She had to be strong once again.

* * *

Stepping out of the airport gave Elena two distinct, yet different, feelings. The first one was relief. She was sure she never wanted to travel by plane ever again. The airport was stuffy, security was scrutinizing and made her nervous beyond belief, and everyone around her was rude. The second, more prominent, feeling was fear. Elena was back in New York City. The last time she had been here with Jeremy they had only stayed for a few days living on the street. Elena never got a job because they hadn't stayed long enough to really need it.

Coming back to New York now she knew would have a whole new experience for her. First, she wouldn't be living on the street. Second, she'd have to meet Damon's friends and family. That thought made her nervous. What would they think of her and Jeremy? They both hated to be pitied and Elena hoped no one would treat them like that. She was pulled out of her thoughts by Damon gesturing towards a car.

He opened the door for her and let her slide in, then ran to the other side to let Jeremy in as well. Damon was anxious about their reactions. Both of them had been quiet on the whole ride, but he could see that Elena was a little nervous. Jeremy just seemed to be going with the flow. Damon could tell that he was just glad him and his sister were safe.

After climbing into the car, he told Matt to head to his place. "Elena, Jeremy, this is Matt. He's the best driver this city has to offer, and he's a really good friend of mine." He smiled as Elena and Jeremy gave Matt short greetings and then gave Matt a light pat on the back.

In the front seat, Matt sat in shock and furrowed his brows in confusion. _Good friend?_ There had once been a time the two of them had been close, butDamon hadn't been this nice to him in months. He rarely got a "good morning" anymore, let alone a compliment. Matt was also curious. Who were these two? Did he bring them back from Portland or did he just find them in the airport and offer them a ride? He couldn't wrap his head around it. Damon had been closed off from anyone and anything for far too long. This was the first time in a while he was showing any compassion. Deciding not to dwell on it, he simply smiled, nodded, and drove off towards Damon's place.

As they drove through the city, Damon noticed the awestruck faces of both Elena and Jeremy. "I thought you guys said you had been to New York before?"

Elena looked sheepish before she replied. "We were never in an area this nice. We didn't even have a place to stay last time we were here…" She trailed off with a somber expression on her face. She didn't want Damon to pity her or feel obliged to make her stay this time much more appealing; though she knew he would anyways.

Damon's phone binged in his pocket. He took it out and saw a new message from both Stefan and Alaric.

Stefan: Just checking in. you land okay? Text me when you make it home.

Damon rolled his eyes at his brother's antics. Stefan was a worrier and he always would be.

Alaric: hope you landed fine, call me when you want me to come over.

Damon sent quick replies back to each, telling Stefan to stop brooding so much and sending Alaric an ever shorter "ok" response. He looked over to Elena and Jeremy and bit his lip. Damon was nervous about how they would feel about meeting Alaric.

Elena tore her gaze away from the window and saw Damon staring at her while worrying his lip with his teeth. "Damon? Is everything okay?" She couldn't help but let panic settle in. What had gone wrong?

Damon let out a sigh before responding. "When we get back to my condo, I'll let you guys settle in and clean up, but if it's okay, I was hoping I could introduce you to someone?" When Elena eyes widened he quickly continued. "He's a good friend of mine, and he works with me at the office. I trust him completely. If you guys are too uncomfortable, we can even use your fake names."

Could she trust Damon's friend? Elena knew she trusted Damon, completely and irrevocably, but could she trust someone she didn't even know? She looked towards her brother and saw the slight fear in his eyes. It may have been small, but it was still there. "I think we'll start out with the fake names. I know you want us to live happily here Damon, but you have to realize that someone is still out there looking for me. I think it's safe for Jeremy to stick with his name, seeing as no one is really after him, but I would feel more comfortable using Isobel for the time being."

She saw slight disappointment in his features and gave him a small smile. "I know you trust him, and I trust you, but I just want to be sure. The fake name will be temporary." Elena had to stop herself before she promised him. She couldn't promise him anything. Yes, the fake name may be temporary, but there was no telling how long she'd actually be able to stay. It was clear that she couldn't plant roots here. Jeremy was free to live his own life now, but she was still on the run.

Damon nodded and smiled back at her. They pulled up in front of a tall building with walls that reflected the city and he let out a nervous laugh. "Okay, here we are. I'm on the top floor, so we'll have to ride the elevator up. It's kind of like a penthouse, only smaller." He opened his door and led them both out. Neither of them had any bags, so he simply grabbed his own and led them into the building.

As they entered the main floor, Jeremy looked around in wonder. He had never seen a building so modern and yet extravagant. Not even the hotel back in Portland was this crisp and nice. Everything was white, with grey and light purple accents. He was excited to start a new life here with Elena. They wouldn't have to run anymore and now they were somewhere clean and safe. He looked towards her and noticed her nervousness so he swiftly grabbed her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

When they entered the elevator, they were immediately enclosed in mirrors. Everywhere you looked you saw your reflections. There was no one else in the elevator, just Damon, Elena and Jeremy. Damon pulled out his key and stuck it in the slot for his floor. Seeing as he was the only one living up there, you could only access it if you had a key. One had been made for Alaric and Stefan, but Damon had a sneaky suspicion that Caroline had gotten her hands on one to make a copy. The ride to the top was slow, long, and very quiet.

When the doors opened to reveal the small entrance to his not-so-small condo, he cleared his throat to try to clear some of the tension. "Well," he gestured with his hand, "here it is. Home sweet home, I guess." Damon smiled and led them inside, enjoying their awed faces.

"Damon!" Elena gasped out. "This place is huge! And it's so beautiful…" The room she was currently in was huge. It held a big black leather couch with a television mounted on the side wall. The whole back wall was actually just a huge window looking out over the city. Turning to the right she spotted a huge white sparkling kitchen and a hallway that must have led to more rooms. She turned towards him somewhat self-consciously. "Damon, really this is way too much. We can just rent an apartment somewhere else, really its-"

Damon cut her off before she could continue. "Elena, we talked about this. If you're staying, you're staying with me. Both of you. I have two spare bedrooms, so you can each have your own if you don't want to share." An image of Elena staying with _him _in _his_ room flashed through his head, but he quickly shoved it away.

Elena shook her head, not giving up without a fight. "But surely you don't have two spare bedrooms for nothing! You must have them for a reason, Damon. I don't want us to be a bother and take up space that you could otherwise be using. Really, it's fine. Me and Jer can go-"

Damon had been prepared to patiently wait out her reply before setting her straight again, but it was unnecessary as Jeremy cut in instead.

"Elena, don't be ridiculous! Do you see this place? If Damon wants to let us stay here, then we're staying." He turned to look slightly ashamed at Damon, not wanting to seem as though he was taking him for granted. Jeremy truly did appreciate all he was doing for the two of them.

His worries were unneeded though, as Damon took no offense to it at all. He was actually amused at Jeremy's little-kid-in-Disneyworld expression as he walked around the room in wonder. He gave Jer a reassuring smile and then turned to Elena. "He's right, you know. I want you two to stay here. The only people who use those rooms are Stefan and Caroline, and seeing as they're together now, they only need one. But they only use those rooms occasionally. It's really not an issue Elena. I want you two here with me. I get lonely sometimes you know." He gave her a jesting smile, but realized the truth in his final words. He had been lonely the past few months. Damon had his father to blame for that.

Internally groaning, he remembered that he still needed to notify his father about his early return. Damon had put it off before getting on the plane, figuring it didn't matter when his father found out. He had given him till Monday off and he planned on using his vacation days here with Elena and Jeremy. Maybe he could show them the proper way to visit New York City.

Elena looked inquisitively at Damon. "Stefan and Caroline? Who are they?" He had mentioned wanting to introduce them to someone. Was Stefan the good friend? And who was Caroline? Damon had never mentioned someone else…

"Stefan is my brother. Caroline is a family friend, but they've been dating now for about a year. Took them long enough. They come over every once in a while and we have a few drinks and hang out…" Damon let himself trail off as he realized that the three of them hadn't actually done that in months. He had to mentally kick himself and remember that the past few months he hadn't really seen much of anyone, as his brother had so bluntly pointed out before his trip to Portland.

Elena furrowed her brows. "Is Stefan the one you're introducing us too? Do we have to meet Caroline, too?" She tried to not sound like a fearful child, but now her nerves were taking over her. Any more of this and she might lose it. She wished Jeremy was here by her side, but he was running around the place, clearly excited.

Damon looked uncomfortable before he hesitantly replied. "Um, no. I'm introducing you to my buddy Alaric. I don't really know how Stefan is going to respond to our situation here. He's kind of a brooder, always worrying, you know? I figure I'll ease him into it. But Alaric is much more easy-going. He'll understand."

Elena smiled slightly, the name Alaric bringing her back to two years ago. She had been in the kitchen with her mother and they were on the phone with her aunt. She kept going on about this great guy she had been seeing for about two years. It was a shame that they never got to meet him since they lived so far away. Her aunt lived in North Jersey then. Elena couldn't help wondering how she was and whether she and Alaric ever ended up getting married. She was brought back to the present by Damon's voice.

"Elena? Is everything okay? If you don't want to meet him, I'll understand…"

She shook her head vehemently. "No, that's not it. I was just remembering something, I'm sorry."

Damon chuckled. "Elena, you don't have to apologize."

Elena took a deep breath and looked Damon in his eyes. "I trust you Damon. You wouldn't introduce us if you didn't trust him. It's okay, really." She turned her head to look for Jeremy, but he was nowhere to be found. "Jer?" She called out to him.

She couldn't hold back her small giggle as he poked his head out of one of the rooms, looking like a guilty child. He looked to Damon with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to wander or anything…"

Damon just laughed. "Don't be." Then he turned serious. "From now on, this place is just as much your home as it is mine. Don't be nervous to go into any of the rooms, use any of the televisions, or get anything from the kitchen. I know you two aren't used to this, but those are my rules." He smiled at them warmly. "Got it?" They both nodded at him, Jeremy with excitement written across his face and Elena with nervousness. She clearly still wasn't entirely comfortable here.

Damon gently grabbed Elena's hand and led her to what used to be Caroline's bedroom. It was a good sized room, with light pink walls and a big white bed. A television hung on the wall in front of the bed. A dresser was caddy-cornered on the far right end next to a window, and a vanity mirror and small stool were placed against the wall closest to them. There was a bathroom attached to it that had a toilet, tub, shower, and sink. Damon smiled at Elena's brightened expression and quiet gasp of delight.

"This used to be Caroline's spare, so you can stay here. The bathroom is your own private one, stocked with shampoo, conditioner, and soap, and I think the dresser in the corner has some clothes in it already. Caroline hasn't worn them in months, which means I'm positive she won't mind if you wear them." He smiled at the blonde's ever-changing fashion style. That girl went through clothes faster than Damon went through a bottle of bourbon.

Elena looked unsure. This was all too much. Her room back home in Virginia wasn't even that nice, and they had a pretty nice house then. She hadn't ever slept in a bed that big or clean. And she got her own private bathroom? This really was too much. She spun around to face Damon and gave him a warm smile. "Thank you, so much Damon. Really, this is absolutely amazing." Words couldn't even express how grateful she was for all the help Damon was giving her. She would forever be in his debt, though she knew he would never hold her to it.

Damon quietly exited the room to give her some quiet time. He then went to go find Jeremy, wherever he had gone, to show him to his own room. Damon laughed when he found Jeremy right at home in the spare room he had been planning to show him. He was lounged out on the bed with the television on in front of him.

When he noticed Damon standing at the doorway, he broke out into a huge smile and thanked him. This place was so cool, and Jeremy could easily find himself getting used to living here. His spare room had a big blue bed against the back wall in the center. There was a dresser against the right wall and a huge television hung on the wall in front of the bed. He, too, had a bathroom attached with a toilet, bathtub, shower, and sink.

Damon walked into the room and sat on the corner of the bed. "Feel free to use the shower anytime you need it. It still has soap and shampoo from when my brother stays over. There are also some clothes in the dresser. Don't worry, he doesn't wear them anymore. We'll go out shopping this week to get you and Elena new clothes and everything. I want you guys to feel at home here." He got up from the bed and started to leave to give Jeremy some time alone as well. Jeremy's voice stopped him.

"Hey Damon?"

Damon turned around to face him with a puzzled expression. "Yeah?"

Jeremy's face was serious, but there was a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You really care about her, don't you?"

The question took him by surprise, but he knew his answer and gave him a confident answer. "Yeah, I do."

* * *

As Elena stood in the shower letting the hot water soothe away all her worries, she thought about where things would go from here. She knew she was beginning to care for Damon more than she should, but she wasn't sure if he felt the same way. Every time she looked into his eyes she couldn't help but feel absolutely safe. Every time he touched her she got butterflies in her stomach. Surely she didn't have the same effect on him, right?

If she got too attached to Damon, she may not want to leave. But staying just wasn't an option. It wasn't safe and it wasn't practical. Elena knew Damon wanted to protect her and would do everything possible, but would it be enough? Obviously whoever it was was relentless. They would never stop.

Letting out a sigh, Elena knew she was just over thinking things. The stress that the hot water had washed away was slowly returning, leaving an unwanted weight on her shoulders. She turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel snug around her body. God, even the towels felt expensive. Damon was quite obviously loaded.

Elena walked out of the bathroom and over to the dresser. She felt weird wearing another person's clothes, but it would have to do for now. When she opened the top drawer she groaned. Lingerie; and lots of it. Digging around for a pair of comfortable underwear, Elena finally found a pair of white cotton undies and a white sports bra that seemed like it would fit her. It would have to do either way.

She guessed that the other drawers would hold only expensive clothes, however still couldn't help but to sigh in defeat when her suspicions were confirmed. Again, digging to the bottom she found a simple red t-shirt that was a little tight, but would have to do, and a nice snug pair of jeans. Luckily, her and Caroline seemed to be about the same size.

Elena spent a lot of time at the vanity mirror brushing her hair. It was such a simple act, but it hadn't given her the desired calming effect it always had in a while. It felt good to slowly run a brush through your hair over and over again. Elena paused in her movements as she realized she wouldn't mind staying like this forever. She was becoming much too comfortable here much too quickly.

* * *

Damon was in his room, putting away clothes and freshening himself up. He thought about Elena and Jeremy and how lucky he was to have found him. They may think that they were the lucky ones to have his help, but the truth was that he needed them. His life had become nothing more than sitting in an office, working, living, and breathing for his father. He was already noticing things he hadn't picked up on before his trip to Portland.

He had been neglecting Matt, his driver. The two of them honestly had become very good friends over the years. Matt was easy to talk to and a great friend. He wasn't just a driver to Damon. He also realized that he had been neglecting his relationship between his brother and Caroline. He may joke about how annoying she is, but did love her, even if he wouldn't ever admit it to her face. Damon wondered how Elena and Caroline would get along, when they met.

Thinking about Elena brought a smile to his face. That woman was something else. She was insanely beautiful, and so strong. Maybe right now she seemed a little self-conscious and quiet, but she had been through hell the past few days. Damon knew she still had that fire in her that he liked, and he knew it wouldn't be put out easily. He wished he could see her let herself be free a little bit. She was too young to be under such pressure. Damon made a decision to try to help her have fun while in New York. This wouldn't be a miserable visit, and hopefully she would want to stay.

Resolved to try and make Elena feel as comfortable as possible, he went into the kitchen to make them all lunch. Damon tried to think of something they would all enjoy, but he was interrupted by the chime of his forgotten cell phone on the coffee table in the living room. After walking over to it and checking his messages, he groaned seeing four messages and two missed calls from Stefan and two messages from Caroline.

Stefan: Are you home yet? Please let me know

And five minutes later: Damon? Why won't you answer my texts?

Two missed Calls from Stefan.

A minute later: Damon answer me or I'm coming over.

_Shit!_

Caroline: Damon? Stefan says you're not answering.

Five minutes later: He wants to come over, I can't calm his worry, you know him. Looks like we'll see you in a bit!

Stefan: I'm pulling up to your building now

_Dammit!_ They'd be here any second. This wasn't fair to Elena or Jeremy. They had no warning. Damon ran to Jeremy's room first, knowing he'd take the news a little better. After knocking and waiting for the approval to enter, Damon hastily made his way into the room. Jeremy was immediately on alert.

"Damon? What's wrong? What's going on?" Jeremy's brows furrowed and he shot up in worry for Elena. "Is it Elena?"

"No, Elena's fine. It's just," Damon let out an exasperated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "My brother and Caroline are making a surprise visit. I'm so sorry, I wasn't expecting them. We need to tell Elena so that she doesn't freak out. Help me?" Damon looked at Jeremy with pleading eyes and he quickly nodded in response and headed towards Elena's door.

Jeremy knocked before entering then swiftly entered without waiting for a response. Elena shot up out of her chair and her eyes widened in panic. "Jer? What's wrong?"

Damon walked in behind Jeremy and sent Elena an apologetic look. "My brother and Caroline are making an unexpected visit. I'm sorry, I didn't know. They'll be here any second and I just wanted to warn you. I don't really know how to go about this, I was hoping I would have time to properly prepare…" Damon let himself trail off as he let Elena register what he had told her.

Elena felt a little panicky at first, but then took a deep breath and calmed down. This was nothing she couldn't handle, right? She turned to face Damon. "Can we trust them?"

Damon didn't even have to hesitate. Stefan may be a worry-wart and he may be their father's shining star, but they both looked after each other. As for Caroline, she was fiercely loyal. You could count on her for anything, and he knew neither of them would let him down. Telling them who Elena and Jeremy were was going to be rough, but once they got past that everything would be fine. The only problem was that they were unprepared and unaware of how to approach the situation.

They didn't have any more time to even come up with a plan, for the ding of the elevator was heard and Stefan's voice carried throughout the floor. "Damon? Are you here? Why haven't you been answering my texts or calls? Damon?"

Damon winced and walked hastily into the living room. He tried to play the whole thing cool. If he was lucky, Stefan would be satisfied seeing him okay and leave. "Stef, I'm fine. I've been unpacking and showering. Sorry I don't answer you, I just didn't know you had sent me anything." Damon leaned his back across the kitchen counter and crossed his legs and arms out in front of him.

Stefan looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then let it drop. He also let out a small sigh of relief.

Caroline bounded over to the couch, her curls bouncing lightly, and plopped herself down. "So, how was Portland?" She asked in her cheery voice. "Why back so soon? Stefan had said you were staying till next Sunday."

After sighing loudly and dramatically, Damon went to go sit next to the perky blonde on the couch. He looked up at Stefan and gestured for him to sit down. "You may want to sit down for this one, brother. It'll be sure to add another worry line to that already so crowded forehead of yours." Damon flashed him a smirk and waited for him to sit.

* * *

**A/N: So, let me know what you think! I'm sorry for cutting it off here. This chapter so didn't go as I planned, but sometimes my chapters kind of write themselves for me.**

**Again, I'm so sorry for the long wait, but I've already started the next chapter, so that's a good sign! **

**Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me in this story, I truly love you all. **

**Leave reviews please, they brighten my day :D **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Short author's note here, just want to thank everyone for sticking with me!**

* * *

Elena paced back and forth in her room nervously as Jeremy leaned against the wall and watched her. He honestly believed his sister was blowing this whole thing out of proportion. If Damon trusted these people, then so did he. It was that simple. Damon had earned his trust, both of theirs actually. He had saved Elena countless times and Jeremy knew that Damon wouldn't let anything happen to either of them. If only Elena could see it that way…

Her mind was working way too fast for her to keep up. Questions were flying through her head going a mile a minute. How did everything get so complicated again? Who are these people? Should she use her real name? Will they tell someone? Can she trust them? She tried to scold herself on that last question. If Damon trusted them, shouldn't she as well? He had earned her trust, that much was clear. It was much easier said than done, however, to automatically trust these people. Sure they were brothers, but how much did that mean?

For Elena, family was everything. Jeremy and she both felt the same way about that. It was the main reason why they stuck together all this time no matter what. They could have gone separate ways, it actually may have been safer that way, but neither of them could bear the separation. Did Damon and his brother feel that kind of a bond? That you would do anything, go anywhere, if it meant the safety of your sibling? Elena wasn't sure, and it made her nervous.

And who was this Caroline girl? She let out a humorless laugh. She was staying in her bedroom, wearing her clothes, and using her shower. It seemed a bit odd. Maybe Stefan would keep quiet if his brother asked, but would Caroline keep quiet because her boyfriend's brother asked? That's a bit of a stretch. How much were they in love anyways? _Were_ they even in love? Was the relationship strong enough that this girl would blindly listen to her boyfriend's brother?

Elena couldn't keep up with all the questions plaguing her mind. She wasn't sure how the conversation out in the main room was going, but she was fucking nervous. She didn't know whether to just appear or wait for Damon to introduce them. She decided on the latter. Damon surely knew what he was doing…right?

* * *

Damon looked up at Stefan condescendingly while waiting for him to take a seat. He wished he didn't have to break the news to him just now, but it was too late. Telling Alaric? Piece of cake. Telling Stefan? That would be the fun part. Damon wasn't worried about Caroline's reaction. The peppy blonde was always looking for a new shopping partner, and surely that's what she would see Elena as.

Damon leaned forward so that his elbows were resting on his knees and looked at Stefan with raised and furrowed brows, unsure of how to begin. He opened his mouth to speak, but was still at a loss for words. Damon decided to just be blunt from the start and see where that led the conversation. "I brought home a brother and sister from Portland and they're in Caroline's spare bedroom." He then shrugged as if it was no big deal and sat back.

The silence in the room was deafening. As Damon looked to both Caroline and Stefan, they both wore matching expressions of shock. Neither of them knew what to say, and Damon was sure that Stefan was probably hoping this was a joke.

Stefan just stared at his brother with his mouth open and his eyebrows pulled together. Surely he was kidding? He sighed in frustration and ran his hands through his hair. After giving Damon his best disapproving look, he let out a short huff. "Explain. Now."

Damon chuckled and rolled his eyes at his brother. "Ease up, baby bro."

Stefan jumped up out of his seat and started pacing the room. "Can't you take anything seriously Damon?" He stared at his older brother, trying to get through to him. "You just told me you brought home two people, complete strangers, from Portland and that they're currently staying in your condo!" He finished with clenched teeth, trying to keep his voice down just in case the people in question were able to hear him.

Damon sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, muffling his groans. When he pulled back, his face was serious. "Alright, sit down and I'll tell you. But no interruptions, got it?" He looked to Stefan and Caroline and waited for them to agree. "When I was in Portland, I met a woman. She's a runaway and she was working as a stripper when I met her. Ah ah ah!" He held up his hand to stop Stefan from interrupting. "She was having a lot of…issues there." Damon was trying very hard not to reveal too much information to Stefan and Caroline. He knew Elena wouldn't appreciate it if he told them everything he knew. "It's just her and her brother. From what I can tell, they don't have any family they can turn to. It wasn't safe for her in Portland, so I offered her an out. Her and her brother are staying here with me."

Stefan was speechless. He didn't even know where to start. "Damon, you don't just bring someone home with you after only knowing them for a few days, especially not if they live in another state! What were you thinking? We don't even know who these people are. You're letting complete strangers live in your house! I thought this trip to Portland would be good for you. Unfortunately, I think you might actually have gone insane!" Stefan ran his fingers through his hair in aggravation. Another thought occurred to him. "Have you told father yet?"

Damon didn't even get a chance to respond to Stefan's frantic rambling. Caroline stepped in and lightly grasped Stefan's arm to try and soothe him. "Stefan, hey, look at me." Stefan turned his head to face Caroline and she grasped his face lightly in her hands. "One thing at a time, okay? You're overreacting. Damon was obviously just trying to help them. Maybe he went about it in an odd way, but that's Damon!" She turned to give him a playful smirk and winked at him. "Who knew he had a heart?"

"You wound me, Caroline!" Damon smiled and mockingly placed his hand over his heart. His smile fell as he saw Stefan drag his hands down his face. "Look, Stef, I know that this is a lot to wrap your head around. Just, please give them a chance first before you freak out entirely. I know that I barely know them and that this whole thing seems crazy! I couldn't leave them, brother. I couldn't."

Damon uttered the words with such force and sincerity that Stefan was taken aback. This was the first time in a long time that Damon was showing any kind of emotion other than resentment, anger or boredom. Maybe this would end up blowing up in their faces later on, but for right now the least Stefan could do was humor his brother, right? Without speaking, Stefan let out a resigned sigh and nodded.

Caroline seemed to perk up instantly seeing that Stefan now approved. "Can I meet them? They're in my bedroom? That's what you said, right?" She didn't even give Damon a chance to open his mouth to reply before she was speeding off down the hall towards her room. Before she got to her door she heard Damon's yells of protest but she yanked the door open anyways.

The two brunette siblings immediately turned in alert and looked at Caroline warily. The first thing she noticed was how gorgeous the woman was. She was wearing some old clothes of hers and she couldn't help but feel jealous that this girl looked better in them than she once had. Caroline internally rolled her eyes. _No wonder Damon felt compelled to help save this Damsel in Distress._ She registered heavy suspicion in the woman's eyes and watched as she stood in front of her brother protectively. He grabbed her hand in return and Caroline saw him give it a gentle squeeze.

Caroline smiled brightly at both of them, hoping to make them feel more open to her. "Hi, I'm Caroline. You two must be the siblings Damon told me and Stefan about?"

Elena eyed the blonde woman up and down. She was certainly attractive and clearly had an eye for fashion. Her blonde hair bounced up and down in loose curls and her blue eyes shined brightly. What allowed Elena to give her a tentative smile back, though, was how Caroline spoke to them. It wasn't condescending, as if she was better than them. She wasn't speaking to them like they were children, but more like new friends. Unwilling to speak just yet, Elena nodded.

Just then, Damon entered the doorway with a nervous look on his face. He was looking frantically between Elena and Caroline, obviously trying to determine if something had already gone wrong. Elena sent him a reassuring smile. "Damon, Caroline here was just introducing herself to us." She then turned her gaze back to Caroline who was grinning like the Cheshire cat. It looked like she was about to explode with excitement.

Damon chuckled when he looked at his friend's face. She was actually maintaining a relatively calm façade. Well, calm for her anyways. Damon knew though that she was just bouncing inside, waiting to pounce on Elena like a shiny new toy. "Caroline," Damon warned. Her bubbly attitude faded and she spun around to face him with an unimpressed frown on her lips and stuck her hands on her hips in a sassy way.

"Don't chide me like a child, Damon. I'm just excited to finally have a girl around here to talk to!" She bounded up to the brunette girl squealing and hugged her. Feeling her tense in her grip, Caroline pulled back quickly. "I'm sorry! Too much? Yeah, too much. Sorry!" She cringed and looked between the two siblings. The woman looked a little worried while the boy just chuckled and looked amused.

Jeremy couldn't help but laugh at this girl. She was truly living in her own little world. She looked like the epitome of a fashionista and was obviously very open and bubbly. He thought that she kind of reminded him of someone, but he couldn't place it. The way she acted was very familiar. When he looked at Elena he saw apprehension in her eyes. Jeremy gave his sister a slight nudge and she seemed to lighten up a little.

Damon approached and placed a hand on Caroline's shoulder. "A little too soon there, Care."

Everyone turned their attention to the doorway when they heard a throat clear. Stefan was standing just inside the room with furrowed brows and a creased forehead. He saw his brother's pleading look and tried his best to look friendly. He looked in the direction of the two brunette siblings. "I'm Stefan, Damon's brother." He tried to make his tone friendly, or at least he thought he did. Damon must not have thought so though because he sighed exasperatedly.

After exchanging a quick glance with his sister, Jeremy walked over to Stefan and reached out his hand. "I'm Jeremy. It's nice to meet you." Stefan shook his hand firmly and gave him a small smile. Jeremy turned and looked back at Elena. "And this is my sister…" He looked at her in question, wondering what name she wanted to go by.

"I'm Elena." She let out a heavy sigh. Damon trusted him, and Jeremy trusted him. The least she could do was have a little faith. She smiled when she saw Damon beaming at her happily.

Caroline squealed. "Oh my gosh! That is such a pretty name." She really was bursting inside, dying to pounce on this girl. Seeing Elena look embarrassed by her compliment, Caroline figured she didn't get much of them.

Elena ducked her head. "Thank you. I um, I hope you don't mind me using your room. Damon said it was okay. And I'm also sorry about the clothes, but I didn't bring any of mine with me so…" Elena trailed off, feeling embarrassed. _Stop being so freakishly shy!_

"No! Don't worry about it, really it's fine. I actually haven't been over here to use this room in a while, so it's totally fine." Caroline glanced over at Damon, using her eyes to plead with him to let her take Elena shopping.

Damon sighed heavily and chuckled. He knew that look. That was the look Caroline got when she was thinking about clothes or shopping. He rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, giving her permission.

Caroline beamed and turned back to Elena. "You said you didn't bring any clothes with you? We can go shopping if you want! I know where all the best sales are and I have been dying to go out, but it's no fun by myself and Stefan hates coming with me." She turned her head to give Stefan a playful wink and smiled when she saw him chuckle. At least he was lightening up a little bit.

Elena was unsure of what to do. She looked nervously at Jeremy. "I don't know, it's really not a big deal yet…"

Jeremy gave her a disapproving look. He suddenly realized who Caroline's behavior reminded him of. She reminded him of Elena when she was a little younger. Before the accident, before all this stupid shit came into their lives and ruined everything. Elena used to love going out and going shopping with her friends, but that happiness seemed to have died inside of her. Maybe, with Caroline's help, it could be revived. Jeremy turned to look at Caroline and gave her a warm smile. "I think it's a great idea Caroline. Drag her shopping if you need to. She needs to get out." Jeremy playfully shoved his sister and beamed when she giggled.

"Alright, alright Jer, I'll go." She pulled him into a tight hug and giggled when he lifted her up off the ground. When he set her back on her feet she turned serious again. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

Jeremy scoffed at his sister. "Seriously Elena? I'll be fine! Now go. And don't be afraid to use your money! Go out and buy yourself some nice clothes, okay? Promise me, Elena!" He knew his sister didn't like to spend her money. They didn't have much to begin with, only the money she made from stripping through cities, but now that they were staying with Damon they didn't need the money for everything they had before. They didn't have to pay rent, or buy groceries, or anything like that anymore. He wanted Elena to enjoy the shopping trip instead of worrying about money. Damon surprised him with his next statement, though.

"No way. It's my treat." Damon smiled at Jeremy, knowing exactly what was going through the boy's mind. He knew Elena just as well by this point.

Elena immediately declined. "No, Damon I can't accept that. You've already done so much for us already. I have more than enough money for some clothes, really it's fine I can pay for it myself."

Damon looked seriously at Elena for a moment. "I'm not going to take no for an answer on this Elena." He dug out his wallet and pulled out a credit card. Instead of handing it to Elena, he gave it to Caroline. "I know for a fact you will not hesitate for a moment to use this, so here." Her eyes lit up brighter than he'd ever seen before, and he could swear he heard Stefan mumble out and 'uh-oh.'

Elena looked like she was going to protest again, but Damon cut her off. "Elena, no. We talked about this before we got here. How about a compromise? I'll pay for your clothes, and then one night this week you treat me and Jeremy for dinner. Sound good?" He saw that she was close to breaking, so he added in, "We'll even pick out somewhere relatively fancy, okay?"

Elena let out a frustrated sigh before groaning and giving in. "Fine! But it better be really fancy!" She turned to glare at her brother. "Fancy enough so that you have to dress up nice!" She grinned when she saw the nervousness in Jeremy's eyes. He always hated dressing up. Damon chuckled and then she spun back around to face him. "You have to dress up to!"

Damon scoffed. "I always have to dress up, Elena. You're forgetting, however, that if we have to dress up, then so do you!" Elena's face fell a little. "Make sure you remember to buy yourself something nice for it!" He looked at Caroline and saw the wheels turning in her head as she looked at Elena, probably imagining every type of dress that would look good on her. He knew that Caroline would help pick out the perfect outfit.

Caroline grabbed Elena's hand and squeezed lightly. "Are you ready to go now? We can go now, right?" She looked between Elena, Damon and Stefan, looking for permission from all three. She hoped Stefan wouldn't mind her ditching him to spend some time with Elena.

Elena just shrugged in response, along with Damon. Stefan sighed and then nodded after rolling his eyes. "It's fine, Care, you can go. I know you've been dying to go shopping lately. I'll just find something else to do."

Damon scoffed at his brother. "And you think I was just gonna sit around all day?" Damon looked hopefully at Stefan. They hadn't spent time together in who knows how long. Not to mention it would be a good chance for Stefan to warm up to Jeremy a little bit. Sure, he was a lot younger than them, but they could still hang out.

Stefan gave his brother a questioning look. He honestly hadn't seen Damon with this much enthusiasm in close to a year. It had seemed like all of the energy had completely left Damon. The two of them never even saw each other outside of the office anymore. How was it that after only three days with Jeremy and Elena, Damon was back to his old self? Did these two really have that much of an impact on his brother? Maybe the trip to Portland really did do him some good after all.

* * *

Stefan watched as Jeremy followed Damon into the bar down the street from Damon's condo. Was this kid even old enough to drink? He didn't think so. Stefan walked in after them and tilted his head at Jeremy. "Are you even old enough to be in a bar?"

Jeremy and Damon shared a quick look before chuckling. Damon then pointed his thumb towards Jeremy. "Kid was a bartender in Portland. I think he'll be fine."

Stefan continued to look at them skeptically, but decided to let it drop. They each took a seat at the bar and waited for the bartender to head over to them. After ordering drinks, Damon and Jeremy turned their attention to the game on the big screen.

Stefan watched as his brother interacted with the kid. He could tell that Damon cared about him, and they got along well enough. Stefan still didn't understand how these two siblings had made such an impact on Damon in such a short amount of time. Damon was rarely seen in bars anymore; he preferred to drink in solitude at home or in secret at the office.

He must have been brooding again, because Damon interrupted his thoughts. "Stef, you okay?"

The younger brother smiled seeing his own sibling finally living again. "Yeah, I'm good."

* * *

"Oh my gosh, this color would look gorgeous on you! You have to try it on." Caroline pleaded another countless attempt to try and get this stubborn woman to try on some damn clothes! Every time she suggested something, Elena would look at the price tag and immediately find something wrong with it. Not this time, Caroline wouldn't hear of it!

"Um, yeah, let me see it." Elena had to admit, it was a beautiful dress. Then again, so were each and every one of the other dresses Caroline had pointed out. They were just way too expensive! If she was only paying for dinner there was no way she was going to spend hundreds of dollars on dresses. Maybe this was just an extremely expensive store, though Elena feared that Caroline didn't shop cheap. _Yeah, sales my ass._

Caroline stuck up her finger and wagged it in front of Elena. "No way, not this time. You are not looking at the price tag. Come on, I'm going in there with you and we're trying this thing on whether you like it or not!" The blonde eagerly pushed Elena into the dressing room, ignoring her grunts of protest. She gave her a stern look with icy, blue eyes. "Strip."

Elena's mouth dropped at Caroline's demand. Obviously this woman had gotten plenty comfortable around her already, but Elena wasn't sure if she felt the same way. She put her hand on her hip, ready to make a string of refusals, but Caroline cut her off.

"Strip now or I will rip the clothes from your body!"

Elena winced at her choice of words. She turned away from her and tried to keep her emotions in check. Of course, it wasn't Caroline's fault. How could she know that those words would hit so close to home? Elena focused on taking deep breaths.

Caroline furrowed her brows and frowned. "Elena?" She went to gently place her hand on the brunette's shoulder, but immediately pulled away when she cringed at her touch. Did she say something wrong? "Are you okay? Was it something I said?"

Elena closed her eyes, held her breath, and counted to five. It was something her mom had always taught her to do whenever she was feeling cornered. Letting out a deep breath she turned back to face Caroline and opened her eyes. "No, it's fine. Sorry, I just had a moment." Elena saw the concern on her face and attempted to give her a reassuring smile, but it fell flat.

Caroline tilted her head in suspicion. "Are you sure? I'm sorry if I'm being pushy. It's part of my nature. I really am sorry though."

"Don't be, really. Here, I'll try the dress on now." Elena extended her arm out to receive the dress.

Suddenly Caroline wasn't so sure. "Actually, you know what? It's fine. You don't have to try it on, really. We can just… I'll find something else, okay?" She felt horrible for making her new friend uncomfortable.

Elena forced herself to make her smile convincing. She even added in a chuckle. "Caroline, give me the dress. I won't even look at the tag, I promise."

Caroline narrowed her eyes at her before cautiously handing her the dress. "Okay, I'll leave now and let you change. Don't even think about taking it off though before letting me see it!" Caroline gave her a friendly smile, hoping that everything would be okay now.

After Caroline left the dressing room, Elena got changed into the dress. To her surprise, it did look pretty amazing. The dress was simple: loose, but still fitted, a single strap over the left shoulder with a triangle cut-out right over her left breast, coming down to about her mid-thigh in a gorgeous navy color. She would have to wear heels with it, obviously, but it did show off her legs nicely. Letting out a big sigh, she walked out of the dressing room to get Caroline's opinion.

"I knew it! I am a fashion master! Elena, you look beautiful! You have to buy that dress. Ugh, and your legs! Feel flattered girl, you are the first woman in a while to receive my jealousy." Caroline beamed at her, hoping that her flurry of compliments would convince her to buy the dress.

Elena couldn't help but blush. She wasn't used to receiving so many sincere compliments. Working as a dancer, you didn't get many of those. It was always, 'nice ass' or 'look at those tits.' It felt good getting actual, meaningful compliments. "Really?"

Caroline scoffed at her. "If Damon finds out that I had this on you and didn't force you to buy it, he would kill me. We're getting it. Now we just have to find some heels and some jewelry to match it!" Caroline squealed in excitement. "Okay, go get changed again. We'll buy this and then we can move on to another store and buy you some every day clothes. Sound good?"

After nodding her consent and watching the peppy blonde leave, Elena let out a giggle. It was refreshing to be around someone with so much energy and excitement. If Elena was planning on staying in New York for good, Caroline would make an amazing friend. Suddenly, thinking about leaving again put Elena back into a sour mood.

After changing back out of the dress and putting it back on the hanger, Elena exited the dressing room in search of Caroline. When she turned the corner, she ran straight into a brunette woman. "Oh, my god! I am so sorry!" Elena immediately rushed out apologies. When the girls met eyes, Elena saw the annoyance in her features fade into shock and then quickly into amusement.

Looking the woman over, Elena couldn't help but compare their appearances. They both had the same shade of brown hair with the same bright brown eyes. This woman was taller, but that could've been due to her massive heels. Her mouth pulled up into a smirk. "Don't worry about it. It's…fine." Her tone was amused, as if she was in on a joke and Elena was the outsider.

Elena felt uncomfortable under the woman's intense stare, so she quickly rushed out another apology and moved around her to find Caroline. _That was weird._ The way she looked at her was just unnerving. Elena stole a glance behind her, but the woman had disappeared. Shaking her head, Elena tried to shrug it off

Caroline rushed out in front of Elena holding heels and jewelry. "I hope you don't mind, but I picked these out for you already. Don't worry, you'll look fabulous, I know it!" She then noticed the blank look on the girl's face. "Elena? You okay?" This woman was tough to keep up with.

"What?" Elena looked at the accessories in Caroline's hands and nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah, no they're good."

Caroline smiled. "Great! Give me the dress, I will go pay for these and then we will be on our way to the next store!" She blurred off towards the register.

Elena went to go stand near the doors, trying to pep herself up for the rest of the shopping trip. When Caroline returned with bags in hand, she grabbed onto Elena's arm and led her out of the store.

* * *

After watching the blonde and brunette pair exit the shop, the onlooker stepped back into an alley and pulled out her phone. This couldn't possibly be more perfect.

After waiting a few moments for an answer, someone finally picked up._"What is it?" _Their tone was bored, like always.

Smirking into the phone, she chuckled before answering. "Oh come on, cheer up. Your pouting can finally come to an end."

"_Just spit it out." _Now they were impatient.

"She's here, in New York City."

A hum of satisfaction was heard. _"Fantastic."_ Then the line went dead.

* * *

**A/N: Leave reviews! Let me know who you think Elena ran into and who they called! Again, thank you guys for your continued support!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So, I'm proud to say that I am a few chapters ahead already! If you read my previous note, that has now been deleted, you know that I decided to wait until I finished my story before posting any more chapters so I could keep up. Well, I didn't finish the story but I am two and a half chapters ahead already, so I feel confident in posting. I'm going to try to go back to a weekly update, maybe more often if I get enough reviews! (; Okay, thank you all of my readers who have always supported me. Here's Chapter 9!**

* * *

_The sound of pots and pans clattering around in the kitchen woke him up. Confused, Damon untangled himself from his sheets and got out of bed. He slowly walked out of his bedroom and started down the hallway._

_When he reached the main room, he twisted his head towards the kitchen and his mouth hung slightly open at the sight. Elena was leaning over the stove in a pair of cute little pajama shorts that showed off her legs nicely and a tight pink tank top, fiddling around with a small pan. Her brown hair hung in front of her face, shielding him from her view._  
_He walked into the entrance with an amused smirk on his face and leaned against the wall there. Damon watched her for a few minutes as she tried to find her way around his kitchen. Eventually, deciding to make his presence known, he coughed._

_The look on her face as she spun around was priceless and he couldn't help but laugh. The pout she made at seeing him laugh at her was nothing short of adorable. After a few moments, the expression left her face and was soon replaced by a look of nervousness as her eyes scanned his body._

_Damon's own smirk faded as he began to acknowledge the tension in the air. Looking down, Damon realized he had gone to bed in just a pair of sweatpants, and those sweatpants were lying very low on his hips. He glanced back up and saw her take a nervous gulp. After coughing awkwardly, Damon opened his mouth to speak before laughing and shaking his head. "I'll um, I'm sorry, I'll be right back." He made a gesture to leave, but Elena stopped him._

"_No!" Her hand was slightly outstretched and she awkwardly brought it to her hair before nervously running her fingers through it. "I mean, it's fine. I actually need to know where you keep everything in here. I'm looking for a rubber spatula? I think that's usually how I make eggs." She brought her eyes down before she froze and brought her fearful gaze back up to his. "I'm sorry, I didn't even ask! Oh gosh, I'm so sorry." She gestured with her hand towards the stove. "Is it okay if I-"_

"_Elena, its fine. What's mine is yours now, remember?" He smiled and walked over to her. They stood dangerously close, about a foot apart, and Damon could hear her breath hitch. Their eyes locked on each other and he slowly reached his hand behind her and pulled open a drawer without breaking her gaze. Damon pulled something out and held it up to her. "Is this what you were looking for?"_

_Elena's eyes never even swayed over to the spatula before she nodded. Her eyes did, however, glance down to his lips before they snapped back up to his eyes. He looked down to her lips and was not entirely surprised to see that they had started to lean in towards each other. Both pairs of eyes hesitantly looked at the others lips, slowly closing the distance. Tired of waiting, Damon pressed his lips on hers and smiled at the whimper she made. _

_This kiss was not slow or sweet. This kiss was hungry and needy, and Damon growled into her mouth. The spatula clattered against the floor as Elena threw her arms around his neck and dug her fingers into his raven hair. They broke apart for a short second before Elena ground her hips against his and attacked his mouth with hers again. His hands moved down her body to reach behind her thighs and he picked her up, moaning as she wrapped her legs around him and pushed herself against him harder._

_Damon backed her up against the counter and laid her down on the granite top, bending over her and peppering her neck and chest with kisses. She gripped his head with her fingers, holding him there and letting out a needy moan. "Oh, Damon."_

"_Damon…"_

"_Damon!"_

Shooting up from the bed, Damon was now face to face with the very woman he had, _unfortunately_, been dreaming about. She looked startled at first, and then looked a bit guilty. After glancing down, Damon hastily pulled the comforter over him. He needed to get into the shower, _a cold shower,_ immediately.

"Damon?"

His attention was brought back to the brunette before him. Damon coughed awkwardly before answering. "Yeah, what's up? Is everything okay?"

She gave him a gentle smile. "Um, well I didn't know if maybe you wanted breakfast? I made eggs for myself and Jeremy, but I'd be happy to make you some too if you wanted."

Damon had to fight the urge to groan and roll his eyes. Of course, she was making breakfast. How ironic. He tried to give her his best smile before answering, "I'd love some, Elena. Thank you. I'm just going to take a quick shower first, okay?"

She nodded with a smile before getting up and walking away, swaying her hips as she went. Damon held back a curse, as she wasn't exactly helping his 'situation'. This woman was going to be the death of him.

After he was sure she was gone, he got up and swiftly made his way to his bathroom, then going to the shower and turning it on, cold. Damon got shivers as the initial sting hit him with a shock, but eventually he started to relax.

Yesterday had gone quite well in Damon's opinion. He got the chance to hang out with Stefan for the first time in a while. They usually only saw each other at the office anymore. However, as he had told Elena, they used to hang out all the time. Damon wouldn't have given Stefan his own bedroom in his condo if his little brother never actually used it. After the awkwardness passed, Stefan went back to playing his role as a friend rather than an annoyingly broody brother. Even if Jeremy was third-wheeling it, somehow it wasn't too bad. Damon had to admit, the kid was growing on him.

Also, Elena and Caroline had gotten the chance to go out shopping and have some 'girl bonding time' as Jeremy had called it. It seemed like just the thing Elena needed, and when she came back she certainly seemed to be in better spirits. Caroline always knew how to bring out the fun side of people, and it was clear that she had started to care for Elena.

Elena. Living with her was going to be…rough. If he continued having dreams like the one from this morning, a cold morning shower was going to become a usual thing for him. Damon hadn't anticipated this when he offered up his condo. Of course, he wouldn't want them to go live anywhere else, but there's only so much temptation a man can take…

He had to stop thinking about her that way. She had already been through way too much in such a short amount of time and she didn't need this from him. Damon had to find a way to behave and keep his hormones in check. Somehow, it didn't seem possible.

After getting out of the shower and getting changed into clean clothes, Damon joined Jeremy and Elena in the kitchen. A smile tugged at his lips as he saw them laughing and eating breakfast together at the counter. His smile faded and he began to burn with desire as he remembered what him and Elena had begun to do on that very counter in his dream earlier. Great, now he wouldn't even be able to sit there without thinking about her.

Elena glanced up to see Damon standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Her breath hitched in her throat as she saw the desire in his eyes. Trying her best to brush it off, she cleared her throat a little too awkwardly and walked over to the stove. She picked up the plate of eggs that she made for breakfast and handed it to Damon. "I know it's kind of plain and boring, but I felt like eggs this morning." Elena felt nervous as she saw Damon give her a tight smile in return. Had she done something wrong?

Noticing the look of suspicion and hurt in Elena's eyes, Damon quickly pulled himself together. "Thank you Elena. Eggs are just fine." This woman was slowly ruining him. He brought his plate over into the dining area that was connected to the kitchen. He couldn't sit at _that_ counter and eat breakfast. He may never be able to sit at that counter ever again. He could feel Elena's puzzled eyes on him, but he ignored them. This was their first morning together. Maybe he always ate breakfast in here; she would never know the difference.

Jeremy eventually spoke up as the silence dragged on. "So Damon, I was thinking of going out for clothes today. Anywhere in particular I should look?"

Grateful for the topic, Damon perked up. "There are a bunch of places around here. I'll go out with you. I need new clothes anyways. My old ones are getting boring and I need a new suit for a meeting next week anyways." Damon cringed thinking about going back to work. He was going to have a shit ton of meetings to make up. Hopefully Caroline would be able to hang around and keep Elena and Jeremy company next week. Damon was going to need Stefan's help to try and get the company back up to speed.

As if knowing where his thoughts were, Elena suddenly spoke up. "Wait, Damon why aren't you at work now? It's Wednesday, so technically you should be at work, right?"

"When we were in Portland, my father gave me until Monday to return to work. I have the week off, so don't worry about it. On Monday, though, I do have to go back full time, so you and Jeremy will be hanging out with Caroline when I'm not here."

Elena had the distinct feeling that 'hanging out with Caroline' was Damon's idea of keeping an eye on them. How Caroline would be able to protect them from whoever was after her, Elena had no idea, but clearly Damon didn't want them to be left alone. As much as the idea warmed her heart, Elena didn't want to be coddled. "Damon, we don't need a baby sitter. I enjoyed hanging out with Caroline yesterday, but Jeremy and I can find our own things to do in the city. I mean, this place is so big there has to be tons of things for us to do, right?"

Damon stood up from his chair and turned to face Elena. "Elena, I don't want you and Jeremy being left alone. If I could I would work from home, but it's not an option. Someone needs to be with you to make sure nothing happens. And I don't want you guys walking far distances from here, okay? If you need to go somewhere, Matt is on call so he'll take you anywhere you need to go."

Elena closed her eyes and shook her head slowly, taking deep breaths. "You can't do this, Damon. No one even knows that I'm in New York! We've successfully relocated. Now, it does make me nervous that we're not under the radar like we always have been, but you've insisted on us living here and I've given in. I will not be followed around everywhere and watched like a toddler. I can handle myself just fine. I think I've proven that much!"

"You were almost _killed_ last time Elena! You think I'm just going to go to work and sit back doing nothing while someone is out there searching for you?" He couldn't do that. Surely she wasn't asking him to do that. She was raped and almost killed when Klaus took her. He couldn't just sit back and let her 'take care of herself' after that.

Elena softened her tone when she saw a look of desperation flash in Damon's eyes. He covered it up quickly, but she had seen it there even if it had been briefly. She slowly walked towards him and placed her hands on his shoulders. She smiled as she felt him relax under her touch. "I know you're worried Damon, and I do appreciate that. However, I will not have a babysitter. I will not be treated like a child." She saw that he was going to protest so she put her finger to his lips. "But…if it will make you feel better while you're at work, I will hang out with Caroline a few days out of each week and I promise I will have Matt drive me whenever I need to go somewhere. Deal?"

Damon desperately wanted to push her a little farther. He wanted her to be safe _always. _He knew, though, that she wouldn't budge. With one hand still on his shoulder and another lingering on his lips, he almost _couldn't _argue with her. He would agree to just about anything she demanded right about now. He couldn't focus on anything but the feel of her finger on his lips. He tensed when she started to rub soft circles into his arm with her other hand. She seemed to be doing it unknowingly, and when he glanced down at her movement she followed his gaze and abruptly pulled back. Damon cleared his throat and finally replied to her. "Deal."

Turning to Jeremy, Damon said, "Go get dressed. We'll leave as soon as you're ready." He then turned to Elena. "I know you just went shopping with Caroline yesterday, but you're coming with us. You don't have to buy anything, you just have to tag along."

Elena wanted to protest, yelling at him about what they just talked about, but she refrained from doing so. He had spoken in a tone that implied he wouldn't be budging on this. She had a feeling that if she declined, he would throw her over his shoulder and carry her out the door himself. Wanting to leave with at least a shred of dignity, she nodded and left to go change.

* * *

By the time they arrived back at the condo, it was still early in the evening. Jeremy had returned with a whole new wardrobe, and even Elena, at Damon's insistence, had purchased a few new outfits. The afternoon had gone by quickly, and Elena even found herself having a lot of fun with Damon and her brother. She even noticed Jeremy take interest in a woman in one of the shops.

After letting out an exhausted sigh and falling back into Damon's black leather couch, Elena closed her eyes. She could hear Damon and Jeremy down the hall in her brother's room going through Stefan's old clothes and replacing them with the new ones. A smile gently graced her face as she thought about how well they were getting along together. Damon really had come to care for the both of them immensely.

Suddenly getting an idea, Elena bounded off the couch and down the hall towards the guys. She had to brace herself against the door frame to stop herself from flying too quickly into the room, and she found herself giggling at Jeremy and Damon's shocked expressions.

Damon couldn't hold back a smile seeing her laugh and enjoy herself. Making her happy was slowly becoming his favorite thing to do. "Yes, Elena?"

She took a deep breath before smiling at both of them. "Well, since it's still early, I thought we could go out for dinner! It's my treat since you insisted on buying my wardrobe, which I still believe is unfair, but nonetheless I still owe you both." If she was being honest with herself, Elena was excited to wear the dress. She hadn't had a reason to dress up nice in years, and now she finally could! Her excitement died down when she saw Jeremy's nervous look. He honestly looked as if he wanted nothing to do with the dinner. Elena raised her eyebrows at him, demanding an explanation.

Jeremy groaned and ran his hand through his hair. He had fully intended on going out to dinner tonight, just not with Damon and his sister. When they had gone out shopping,

Jeremy met a beautiful woman who had given him her number. He was excited to finally have the chance to settle down in one city, make new friends and maybe even get a girlfriend. He knew it would be messy at first, but he wanted to try. He actually _could_ try now, and he didn't want to waste his chance. Now he just had to find a way to explain it to his sister.

Elena watched as Jeremy's face flushed in embarrassment and only became more confused. What would be causing such a reaction from him? She never saw her brother embarrassed, ever. "Jer?"

"I'm uh, I'm going to dinner tonight, Elena, only it's not with you and Damon…" He trailed off, hoping that Elena would catch on and that he wouldn't have to go into detail.  
Damon's eyebrows rose and he smirked. He was impressed. It had been only his second time out in the city and already he had a date.

Damon saw the confusion etched across Elena's face and the nervousness on Jeremy's and decided to try to put the younger sibling out of his misery. "You have a date? Well, it's a shame that you can't join us then." He then turned his attention to Elena, chuckling at her astonished expression. "Well, Elena it looks like it's just us two, hmm?"

Elena opened and closed her mouth, gaping like a fish, unable to form a coherent thought. Every time she went to say something, words completely failed her. She had never been so illiterate in her entire life.

Damon shook his head, amused at the poor girl's inability to say something, and started towards her. He gently grabbed her arms and pulled her away from the room, turning back to wink at Jeremy before shutting the door. Damon lightly shoved her down the hallway, pushing her into her own room. As soon as he shut the door, she turned on him.

"He has a date? A date? Like, with a woman? What the hell…" She seemed to be talking to herself, before she turned her attention to Damon. "Damon let me out I need to go talk to him." She moved towards the door but Damon stood firmly in her path. "Damon let me go." She surprised herself by almost growling at him.

Damon couldn't hold back the chuckle at her firm expression and he gripped her shoulders. He knew she was worried about her younger brother, but she had to let him do this. She had spent way too much time in the past watching out for him. "Elena, look at me." She was being stubborn and kept her gaze firmly on the door. "Elena." His voice was firm and demanding. Grudgingly, she looked up at him.

"Damon, I need to go talk to him. He's only 17 years old! He's still a kid! I know he doesn't look like it but he is and I can't let him go out there alone tonight." She hated how desperate she sounded, but it was exactly how she felt. True, her and Jeremy had spent more time apart than together in other cities, but she always knew what he was up to. She knew he never felt comfortable enough to talk to anyone other than people at work. He never got personal with anyone because he knew at any given moment they could have been packing up and moving on.

Should she have been grateful that now he finally felt comfortable enough here to try and make a life for himself? Probably. But she was so gripped with fear that her head's rationalization couldn't properly match up with her heart's worry. Elena had always looked out for her brother, always putting him first. It had killed her to live the past couple of years publicly living as strangers, but it was necessary. They had to keep a low profile. They technically still should be keeping a low profile. Whoever hired Klaus obviously isn't giving up their search anytime soon. She may have avoided her pursuer for now, but for how much longer?

Elena stared into Damon's eyes as the fear took hold of her and saw his forehead crease with worry and his eyes shine with understanding. She realized that he was waiting for her to settle down and come back to herself. Remembering to breathe, Elena sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Are you back?" Damon tried to make his voice as soothing as possible. He had watched in her eyes as her fear and worry for her brother and herself had taken hold of her and weighed her down. He knew he could only wait until she finally calmed down before he could talk to her.

Elena closed her eyes and nodded her head slowly, more exhausted now than she was before. She was glad that Damon had a firm grip on her shoulders, or she might have swayed a little. "Sorry, I just…I don't even know." She was still at a loss for words.

Damon gently moved her over to her bed and sat her down. He crouched down to be at her level. "You were worried about your little brother, Elena. It's perfectly normal." He brushed her fallen hair out of her face and behind her ear in a soothing gesture. "But he _isn't_ a kid anymore. You have to let him do this. You have to give him the chance to be happy, Elena." He could see the hesitation in her eyes, but he knew he was slowly winning her over. "Tell you what, me and you will go to the exact same restaurant as him and his date, we'll just sit across the room or something. Sound good?" Elena's eyes slowly showed resignation, and he knew she would give in. "I'm sure Jeremy wouldn't mind it this once, if he knew it would put you at ease." When she nodded her head, Damon had to refrain from jumping up in victory.

Instead, he stayed firmly planted in front of her and noticed her exhaustion. "Listen, it's still only 4 o'clock yet. Take a short nap, wake up nice and refreshed, and we'll go to dinner at 7. I know a nice Italian place nearby. It's big enough to give them space, but the atmosphere is still calming. You'll love it." Damon gave her a reassuring smile and eased her back onto the bed before leaving her to rest. He tried to ignore the excitement of getting to spend some time alone with her tonight. Jeremy finding himself a date couldn't be more perfect.

Damon made his way down the hall back to Jeremy's room. When he entered, it looked as if Jeremy had been nervously pacing around the room, dreading his sister's reaction. When he turned and saw it was only Damon, he visibly relaxed.

"Is she okay? Listen, I didn't mean to worry her. I don't have to go out tonight, really it's fine. I can go with you guys. I don't want to put her through-" Damon cut him off before he could continue to mindlessly speak.

"Jer, it's fine. She just got a little nervous. You're her brother and she's been so protective of you lately. She's bound to worry. Don't stress about it." He flashed the younger man a reassuring smile before it fell and he ran his hands through his hair.

Jeremy noticed Damon's nervous gesture and tensed a little. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, exactly. Elena wants to be in the same restaurant. It'll make her feel more comfortable knowing where you are." Jeremy groaned and Damon let out a dry laugh. "Yeah, I know but just bear with her on this one. You know how stressed she's been lately, and for good reason. I promise to keep her on the other side of the restaurant, and I'll keep her so preoccupied that she won't even remember you're there." A smirk slipped onto his lips after his last statement, and Jeremy caught it.

"Ew, gross. Please don't tell me you actually do stuff like that in the middle of a restaurant." Despite his words, Jeremy could actually picture Damon and some girl in the middle of the restaurant having freaky eye sex and touching each other under the table. He didn't, however, want to imagine that woman being Elena.

Damon chuckled, though now that it was mentioned, he couldn't get the mental picture out of his head. "I don't mean like that Jeremy. I'll just distract her with my charm." Jeremy rolled his eyes, but still laughed. "So, who's the lovely lady friend that is lucky enough to be your date?"

Jeremy's eyes lit up. "Her name is Jamie. I met her at Forever 21. She's the most beautiful woman. I've never met anyone like her."

Now it was Damon's turn to roll his eyes. "Jeremy, you're…what, 17? You've hardly met enough women to throw her up so high on the totem pole." Damon was surprised, yet glad, that it was so easy to talk to Jeremy like this. The two of them had formed a very easy-going bond where there was no awkwardness between them.

"I know, I know. I'm still young, but I really like her and I can't help but want to know all about her. I want to know everything she likes and everything she doesn't. I want to know where she's been and where she wants to go. I just wanna know her, Damon."

Damon smiled. Sure, the kid was young, but he was finally free. He was no longer bound by trying to hide who he was. He could just live. Even if Elena wasn't quite out of the water yet, knowing that Jeremy was made Damon glad that he had gotten them out of Portland. He knew that Elena would feel that way too once she saw how alive her brother was. That's all siblings really want for each other. "Well, I hope your night goes well then."

Jeremy smirked at Damon. "Yours, too."

Damon let out a short laugh before turning to exit the room. Before he left, he spun his head around and said, "Call your girl. We'll pick her up at 6:45."

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I cut it off right here! Don't worry, Chapter 10 is already done and if I get enough reviews I may post it sooner than next Saturday. But I will keep it as a constant update from now on! Thank you, and don't forget to let me know what you think! I can't get any better if you don't tell me what I need to improve on (: **


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